The Olympics are underway, and there are more LGBTQ+ athletes competing than at any Winter Games before, but getting to the Olympics is financially challenging — especially if you’re queer.
That’s where the Out Athlete Fund comes in. The LGBTQ+ nonprofit is sponsoring six out queer athletes — five American and one British — who are all competing in the Milano Cortina Olympics and Paralympic Games.
Freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy, alpine skier Breezy Johnson, speed skaters Brittany Bowe and Conor McDermott-Mostowy, para nordic skier Jake Adicoff, and snowboarder Maddy Schaffrick are all part of the playfully named Team OutAF, who are being sponsored by the Out Athlete Fund so that financial struggles aren’t what hold these LGBTQ+ athletes back from taking home the gold.
The training, coaches’ fees, travel, and equipment costs break the bank for many athletes, and unlike other countries, the U.S. government doesn’t provide funding for Olympic athletes.
Haley Caruso, Out Athlete Fund board vice-president and Team OutAF lead, told PRIDE that the “costs to travel to competitions and provide gear and equipment” all add up and can make reaching the Olympics unattainable for a lot of athletes. “Getting the call that you're part of Team USA or Team GB is another step in their journey to the Olympics, but along the way, ice time for skaters, lift tickets for skiers and snowboarders, food, lodging, travel, it all adds up fast,” she said.
Kenworthy, who is hoping to take home a medal at his fourth Olympic Games, said the Out Athlete Fund isn’t just supporting athletes’ Olympic aspirations financially, but also providing a community for queer competitors. There are 44 queer athletes at the Olympics this year, an all-time high for the Winter Games, but that’s still a tiny fraction when you consider there are 2,900 athletes competing.
“Sport can be an isolating space when you’re LGBTQ+, and having that kind of support makes it possible to show up as your true, authentic self,” Kenworthy said. “Together we can help create a future where the next generation doesn’t have to choose between being themselves and chasing their dreams.”
The Out Athlete Fund prides itself on inclusivity, which means the athletes being sponsored can live their lives out loud and proud without fear of losing the financial or emotional support they’re getting from the team.
“Joining Team OutAF means I have the support to stand in my truth while participating in the sport that I love,” Schaffrick said. “It means I am part of a community that sees and supports each other. And I hope it shows young people that they’re not alone, even if it sometimes feels that way in their small town or small sport-community. There are organizations like Out Athlete Fund that have our back, and we’re the athletes that have their back too.”
This is especially important if you don’t rise to the level of fame of a Shaun White, Michelle Kwan, or Apolo Anton Ohno because you’re probably not getting the sponsorships, endorsements, or commercial deals that will pay for the cost of getting to the Olympics, let alone make you rich.
"The United States is the only country whose federal government doesn't fund its Olympic program, so American athletes in particular are often left to cover tons of expenses themselves,” Caruso said. “Out Athlete Fund has identified this need, and we're here to make sure a family's income and other financial issues don't get in the way of an LGBTQ athlete chasing their dreams.”
