Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Paralympic Athlete Comes Out As Gay In Powerful Post After Competing In Paris

Dimitri Pavadé
Julian Stratenschulte/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

French track and field athlete Dimitri Pavadé came out as gay in a post on Instagram after finishing 4th in the men's long jump T64 classification final at the Paris Paralympics.

Fans rallied around French track and field athlete Dimitri Pavadé after he came out as gay in a post on Instagram after finishing 4th in the men's long jump T64 classification final at the Paris Paralympics.

On Wednesday, Pavadé, a silver medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Games who had the tibia on his right leg amputated in 2007 following a work accident, missed out on a bronze medal by just 0.06 meters. On Saturday, he took to Instagram, sharing a photo of himself smiling and holding rainbow-colored interlocking male gender symbols, signaling his coming out in the caption.


He wrote (translated from French to English):

"In my life as ordinary as it has been, I never had a project, an ambition, an objective but just let myself be carried by the wind and live my life in the present moment. Since my beginnings in the world of sport, I can say that certain things have matured in me, a thought or a dream of being part of the French team, today I can say with great pride that it is done."
"Today I was able to find my way and give meaning to what I accomplish every day 'wanting to be the icon of people with disabilities.' Another fight awaits me now and I was impatiently waiting for this moment. Here I am today ready once again to face, overcome and move forward without taking into account what others may say or think of me."
"Yes, I am SMALL, MIXED-RACISM, ONE-LEG, and to add insult to injury, GAY!!!!!! The person that I am and like others, have never had to make a choice so stop with your pitiful speeches and your judgments without reasoning because you will never change the world."
"The most important thing in my eyes today is that the beings who matter to me, love me for the person that I am, and not for an image that I could have created, in this overly judgmental society."
"If some do not accept you as you are then they are not worthy of your LOVE. Life is too short to give importance to this kind of individuals."

Pavadé, a native of Réunion, a French island roughly 422 miles east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, said he has a "a second fight to lead with MY LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY" and hopes his announcement can "give strength and courage also to the people still in the CLOSET or to these HIGH-LEVEL SPORTSMEN who do not dare to live openly and freely this freedom that is rightfully ours."

He concluded:

"Disability is not meant to be hidden or ashamed of, the same goes for your sexual orientation, so embrace yourself as you are and remember that you are not alone, life is extremely short and so many beautiful things are offered to us that we cannot deprive ourselves of them."
"Children and adults still commit suicide or are killed today. Don't forget that in your entourage you could one day be affected."

You can see his post below.

Many praised the athlete for sharing so candidly and openly.


Screenshot of @labigbertha.paris' post@labigbertha.paris/Instagram

Screenshot of @valentinbelaud's post@valentinbelaud/Instagram

Screenshot of @stanleandredavid's post@stanleandredavid/Instagram

Pavadé isn't the only track star to come out in recent weeks.

In July, 25-year-old American track star Trey Cunningham publicly came out as gay in an interview with the New York Times, discussing his sexuality after the U.S. Olympic Trials for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Cunningham described coming out to his family in private five years ago as the “scariest thing I’ve ever done" and explained that his decision to come out publicly stems from a track training technique he uses to "say our goals out loud."

The athlete, who competed for Florida State University, mentioned that he didn’t “explore the idea” of being gay until he reached college. He attributed the slow exploration of his sexuality to his upbringing in a conservative and rural part of Alabama. He described his hometown of Winfield as “the sort of place where you did not want to be the gay kid at school.”

Notably, he acknowledged his position as one of the few out athletes around the world, saying that there are "lots of people who are in this weird space" but that their decision not to be out "is kind of understood."

More from News/lgbtq

Man kissing dog while cradling it
VintageBaguette/Unsplash

People Describe The Hottest Thing Their Partner Does Without Realizing

People can state that their significant other's eyes are the best physical attributes or that their sense of style is on point and very sexy.

While those are easily identifiable, the most attractive qualities in a partner can be the ones that take the least amount of effort or something less tangible like a vibe they give off.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Share Their Best 'WTF Did I Just Get Myself Into?' Experiences

Everyone makes mistakes, and we've all done things that we aren't proud of.

But sometimes, we get involved in situations that we didn't see coming, and we wonder what we did to get ourselves stuck in this situation.

Keep ReadingShow less
person lying on gurney with IV and pulse-ox monitor
Olga Kononenko on Unsplash

People Break Down The Stupidest Reasons They've Visited The ER

Accidents and acute illness can happen to anyone. But some people seem to have a gift.

The worst mishaps result in emergency room (A&E) visits.

Keep ReadingShow less
A man pulling a one dollar bill out of a wallet
person getting 1 U.S. dollar banknote in wallet

Purchases Under $20 That Actually Changed People's Lives

We've all found ourselves justifying an expensive purchase.

It is something that our friends and family might dismiss as an extravagance, but one we have absolutely no regrets over due to its long-term impact on our lives.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

White House Account Posts Meme Portraying Trump As A 'King' After Killing Congestion Pricing

After President Donald Trump's Transportation Department (DOT) killed New York City's congestion pricing, the official White House X account posted a mock magazine cover of Trump with a crown, saying "Long Live The King."

Earlier, DOT released a letter from Secretary Sean Duffy stating it had been sent to New York Governor Kathy Hochul regarding the decision to "terminate" approval of the congestion pricing program, which was originally granted on November 21 under the Biden administration.

Keep ReadingShow less