German men’s field hockey captain Mats Grambusch says he knows of no out gay male players and that’s one reason he wears a rainbow armband to show his solidarity for LGBTQ people, a practice he has continued at the Paris Summer Olympics.
As Grambusch and Team Germany ready to face off for the gold medal Thursday against the Netherlands, the captain is continuing a tradition he started more than three years ago with the rainbow armband.
“In hockey, in high performance, it’s always really hard to come out and say, ‘Hey, I’m gay,'” Grambusch said of his inspiration behind wearing the armband before last year’s field hockey World Cup.
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“I don’t know any male player at any level who has come out as gay, but when you see the statistics, there actually can be. Sometimes maybe some people have to have some other people to stand up for something and they will follow.
“Why can’t we as a team and as people stand up for them and make life easier?”
Grambusch got permission from the international field hockey federation to wear the armband and the IOC relaxed some rules on uniform displays, allowing him to sport the rainbow in Paris.
Grambusch is not the only rainbow-clad athlete in Paris. Australian rugby star Sharni Smale wore rainbow headgear during the Olympic tournament, saying: “It’s that visibility piece for myself and for my community.”
While there are 195 out LGBTQ athletes in Paris, there are certainly many others still in the closet. Allies like Grambusch really show what stepping up means with his display.
