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Gay Rugby & Bobsled Star Simon Dunn Has Passed Away
The out athlete died suddenly at age 35.
Simon Dunn, who made history as Australia’s first out and proud rugby player and bobsledder has died. He was 35.
According to NSW Police, Dunn was found on Saturday in his Sydney apartment. The death is reportedly not being treated as suspicious.
“At about 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 21, 2023, police were called to a unit on Crown Street, Surry Hills, after reports the body of a man had been found inside,” said NSW police in a statement.
“Officers from Surry Hills Police Area Command have commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding his death, which is not being treated as suspicious,” the statement continued.
Dunn was the first out gay male athlete to represent his country in bobsledding. He retired in 2016, where he picked up rugby and participated on gay teams including the Kings Cross Steelers in London and the Sydney Convicts.
In 2021, Dunn shared that he was returning to bobsled, with hopes of competing as part of the Australian team for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. However, his hopes were cut short following a ruptured bicep during training.
Dunn also announced last year that he and long-time boyfriend Felix Maisey-Curtis, with whom he’d previously made headlines by sharing a kiss on the rugby pitch, had split up.
An outpouring of love for Dunn has followed the news of his passing.
Ruby Rose Management, Dunn’s agent, wrote in its statement that “Simon was loved, adored, and respected within our community worldwide.”
“Simon was passionate about giving back to the community and volunteering,” it continued.
“Simon never said ‘NO’ to donating his time to any organisation who wanted to grow Diversity and Inclusion footprint from Woolworths to Lion – helping them all to better understand their LGBTQIA+ employees and customers,” the statement added. “Simon represented us all, he always said ‘I am not the spokesman, I am just a gay white male telling you about my experiences, and experiences from those with whom I listened and learnt. The sharing of these stories gives us all an appreciation of what has led us to where we are today’.”
“Simon will be missed, not just for his sportsmanship, not just for his valued views on our community and sport but mostly for being who he was, a genuine all-round nice guy, who had time for everyone.”
“He had a story for us all, but mostly he wanted to know your story, and who you are, and how can he help share what you mean to life,” the statement concluded.
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Rachel Shatto, Editor in Chief of PRIDE.com, is an SF Bay Area-based writer, podcaster, and former editor of Curve magazine, where she honed her passion for writing about social justice and sex (and their frequent intersection). Her work has appeared on Elite Daily, Tecca, and Joystiq, and she podcasts regularly about horror on the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network. She can’t live without cats, vintage style, video games, drag queens, or the Oxford comma.
Rachel Shatto, Editor in Chief of PRIDE.com, is an SF Bay Area-based writer, podcaster, and former editor of Curve magazine, where she honed her passion for writing about social justice and sex (and their frequent intersection). Her work has appeared on Elite Daily, Tecca, and Joystiq, and she podcasts regularly about horror on the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network. She can’t live without cats, vintage style, video games, drag queens, or the Oxford comma.
