Out Athletes and the Road to Vancouver

HERE IT IS, KIDS -- tonight, the 2010 Winter Olympics will set the Vancouver skyline alight with the hopes of all those homegrown and international athletes.

To celebrate, I am staking my claim on the couch and tuning in for the spectacle of the Opening Ceremonies. I know, there's some correlation between increased laziness/ingesting high fat foods and watching elite athletes. I mean, someone has to savour the empty calories those athletes have sacrificed to attain their goals. I'm just doing my part to help the Canadian team.

Anyhow.

I wanted to provide a premium link that will be of great interest to the queer women out there. Heather Hogan at AfterEllen.com took the time to sift through more than 2,500 competitors at this winter's Olympics and she has managed to locate our out and proud women vying for the podium.

The Grand Total: 4

I know, I wish it was higher, too. Though, as Ms. Hogan points out in her article, there's still quite a stigma existing in the athletic community when it comes to outing oneself. There's still intense pressure to remain in the closet in order to appeal to potential sponsors and to the more close-minded spectators out there. It's a sad reality, but, even then, I am damn proud to know that there are at least four women in this year's Games who have taken the step to represent for themselves, their countries, and for the LGBT community.

Oh, and one of those lovely ladies happens to be Canadian to boot.

Allow me to introduce you all to Sarah Vaillancourt, a forward for the Canadian women's hockey team.

Now, Ms. Vaillancourt is no stranger to the Olympic Games. At the 2006 Turin Games, she took home the gold medal with fellow teammates after playing Sweden in the finals. And, for some compelling tension for viewers out there, one of the other queer Olympians is a member of the Swedish women's hockey team (Erika Holst).

So there -- our one representing Canadian queer woman is also a competitor in our national sport. I don't know that I could fit anymore patriotism into that sentence.

Hmm, it's a shame there's no out curlers at the 2010 Games. For some odd reason, I tend to gravitate toward curling whenever it's televised. Ha, you could even say it "hits the button," a heh, lame curling jokes.

So, how about you? Are you game, or... lame? Nah, you're not lame if you don't watch the Olympics. All I know is it'll be difficult to avoid them for the rest of this month.

Serious, though, which events are you excited about? Which events do you use as a sleep aid?

More importantly, which Olympians have your heart all a-flutter? I am still ~checking out~ the competition, a heh. Alright, I need to stop with the puns.

Be sure to tune in for the Opening Ceremonies at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST.... or, check local listings for the televised festivities because I am certain networks will scatter it all.

Hats of to our 206 Canadian athletes at the 2010 Winter Games. May you strike gold early and often, kids.