Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the
intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.
"I always knew," Danell told the Olympic Channel about when he knew he was part of the LGBTQ+ community. "It was always just very rejected, internally rejected because of the way that we’re all raised. And especially coming from a Hispanic family, it’s very much rejected. As I was growing up, I would always somewhat reject it. But then, the more I accepted myself...I started realizing more and more things. I started realizing how normal it is."
Earlier this month on National Coming Out Day, Danell took to Twitter and expanded on his journey of how he knew he wasn't straight, letting his fans know that identifies as bisexual/pansexual (although he says he's still figuring his exact label out).
"For a long time I’ve known that I wasn’t straight," he wrote. "But because of certain very personal reasons, I always rejected that side of me. Earlier this year I finally understood that I’m bi/pan (still trying to figure that one out) but I also realized that, as of now at least, I’m not attracted to cis men. (That comes with those personal reasons I just mentioned). But I felt that it was time for me to finally share this with you all."
He continued:
"One of the main reasons why I’ve never come out publicly is because throughout my life, for whatever reason, other people’s perception of my own sexuality have always been imposed onto me and it has always made me reject it even more. It made me uncomfortable. Not because I was offended, because being gay is in no way offensive, but more so because it was and always has been/felt very intrusive. So this post, apart from being my way of sharing this with you all is also a reminder. A reminder to check the way we say certain things to people. Because sometimes our hearts and intentions may be in the right place, but we never truly know what they’re dealing with."
\u201cI also realized that, as of now at least, I\u2019m not attracted to cis men. (That comes with those personal reasons I just mentioned). But I felt that it was time for me to finally share this with you all. \n\nAs most of you can imagine, this is absolutely terrifying....\u201d
— Danell Johan Leyva (@Danell Johan Leyva)
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\u201cI was offended, because being gay is in no way offensive, but more so because it was and always has been/felt very intrusive. \n\nSo this post, apart from being my way of sharing this with you all is also a reminder.....\u201d
— Danell Johan Leyva (@Danell Johan Leyva)
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\u201cA reminder to check the way we say certain things to people. Because sometimes our hearts and intentions may be in the right place, but we never truly know what they\u2019re dealing with. \n\nI love you all\nHappy #NationalComingOutDay\u201d
— Danell Johan Leyva (@Danell Johan Leyva)
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Congrats on your coming out, Danell! Welcome to the family!
Two-time Olympic silver medalist and Team USA member Danell Leyva knew just what the crowd in Rio watching men's gymnastics wanted — a hot, shirtless performance — and that's exactly what he gave to them during yesterday's gymnastics gala.
If his off-the-cuff toplessness wasn't enough to get your head spinning, you'll be happy to find out that the athlete and aspiring actor (who has a proclivity for taking his shirt off) is also a very proud LGBT ally.
*major swoon alert*
Boy, does Danell sure know the way to our hearts!
Watch the entirety of Danell's too-hot-to-handle routine below!
Congratulations are in order to US athletes Will Clave and Christian Taylor.
The Olympics are filled with so many beautiful things, people, and accomplishments. What a whirlwind of strength, agility, and the force of humanity that drives people to achieve extraordinary feats with nothing but their bodies clad sometimes in incredibly tight shorts. Take, for example, these triple jumpers who scored the silver and gold medal respectively. To jump once would have been enough. To jump three times? You bask in that flag, boys. How could we not take a post to point out how much we can't stop watching these boys as they take our breath away. Because of sports. Only because of sports.
In a word, the U.S. Olympic Women's soccer team is an absolute dream. We were so sad when they suffered a killer loss on Friday following their game with Sweden because they represent everything good as a diverse group of women, some of whom are queer, some of whom we have major crushes on, all of whom are badass. We already miss them SO MUCH.
Here’s a little reminder of why we love them, and a big ol’ thanks from this queer gal with a soft spot for the team.
1. They lost with grace
In an exclusive interview with AOL, Megan Rapinoe said, "Obviously we're upset that we lost and we're just trying to make lemonade out of it. You know, quite frankly from a bigger perspective, we're Olympians and that's an incredible thing and we want to enjoy it. Rio de Janeiro is a beautiful city and we're just trying to take it all in.”
2. And they plan to come back stronger than ever
"At the end of the day,” Kelley O'Hara said in the AOL interview, “you have to take your time to regroup and almost take your time to mourn and get through it. Our team is just great. We will bounce back and it will make us stronger. It's not how you fall, it's how you get back up.”
The sport itself is incredible, the women themselves are strong AF, and they are outspoken, brave, and they believe in themselves. It’s badass, and it makes them HUGE role models for us.
\u201cStill struggling for words really. But I want to say thanks to all of you who support our team through good times and bad. It's incredible.\u201d
\u201cwhat an experience. thank you to all the fans for the support. this one stings but I love my country and this team & we will be back\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\u201d
"I think it's all about perspective, too,” Rapinoe said in the AOL interview. “Of course we pour our whole lives into this, and sacrifice everything, but it's part of the game, it's part of being a professional athlete and it's part of being at the very top. 'O futebol não tem lógica,' as they say here, 'football has no logic.' Probably, 8 or 9 times out of 10, we'd win that game, but that's what so beautiful about it. We'll go from here.”
6. And the fans LOVE them, too
They’re just as sad as we are.
\u201cThe US womens soccer team lost today and now chasing cars is playing on the radio. I am now emotionally unstable.\u201d
Our family jewels certainly know how to stab us in the backs (so to speak), and in an all-too-relatable example from this year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, a Japanese pole vaulter learned this lesson, um...harder...than most.
Olympian Hiroki Ogita was almost over the pole during the pole vault event, but his trouser snake had something else in mind. Feet? Over. Shins? Over. Knees? Over. Thighs? Over. Junk? Think again.
Those of us with twigs and berries know how great they are, but also know they can really ruin a good thing. Well, Hiroki seems to have had it worse than most, so here's to you, good sir.
Just don't be too harsh on the ol' one-eyed monster. Just maybe wear some tighter undies next time.