Are men gymnasts gay
Gymnastics Myths
SAN JOSE (KCBS) - If Josh Dixon makes the chop at the US Olympic team trials in San Jose on Thursday, he could also build history as the first openly lgbtq+ male gymnast to compete at the Olympics.
Dixon has been dreaming of going to the Olympics since he first started copying his sisters' moves, at age 6 or 7.
"I was trying stuff in the backyard, and I don't know, I just fell in love with gymnastics as a sport," he said.
KCBS' Doug Sovern Reports:
A Willow Glen High University graduate who became an NCAA champion at Stanford University, Dixon said he hopes to build headlines with his performance rather than his sexuality when he competes for a spot on Team USA in London this summer.
"I'm focusing on the gymnastics. I could care less about anything else," Dixon said.
There were 10 openly gay athletes at the 2008 Olympics, but there's never been a gymnast who came out before competing. Dixon decided to come out when a teammate told him he could become a role model for other gay athletes.
"It's OK to be yourself and do what you do and the world won't judge you for it," Dixon said.
The 22-year-old said some young gay athletes have hailed him as a role model, but overall the reacti
Heath Thorpe: Putting the Art in Skilled Gymnastics | Inside Gymnastics
27 Sep Heath Thorpe: Putting the Art in Esthetic Gymnastics | Inside Gymnastics
Posted at 14:54h in News & Features by Ashlee Buhler0 Comments
Note: This interview was originally published in the February 2022 issue of Inside Gymnastics Magazine. Since the interview Thorpe’s submission to add a leap to the code at the 2022 Paris World Doubt Cup was denied.
Heath Thorpe: Putting the Art in Creative Gymnastics
By Ashlee Buhler
When looking for examples of fully extended leaps, perfectly pointed toes, and stunning flexibility, a male gymnast likely wouldn’t be the first person to reach to mind. The reason is rather simple: men’s gymnastics is typically related with strength, influence and big skills, while expectations for beauty and grace have long been reserved for the women. Heath Thorpe, a Senior International Elite from Australia, wants to switch that.
Thorpe began turning heads with his social media posts, often showing snippets of his routines or new combinations he is functional in the gym. He has received recognition for his attention to detail and clean
By Joey Bonanno
When you envision a top athlete, the descriptive words that might come to thought include strength, power, masculinity and grit. Every young athlete aspires to have these qualities. But when you’re plagued with stereotypes and stigmas of what it means to be gay, many young athletes become scared to be who they are, to follow their dream. I think the fear of non-acceptance from one’s family and team; along with the desire to preserve the reputation of one’s sport is a driving force behind the hesitance of gay athletes to come out.
I remember the day I asked my mom to sign me up for gymnastics. I was doing cartwheels and running around my mom’s dance studio. I had an obsession with backflips and was determined to learn one. Small did I know my want to learn a backflip would soon turn into so much more. It soon became my life, my passion and the essence of who I am today. I come from a family of four, born and raised in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. I was blessed with incredible parents, my mother, a dance studio owner and my father, a musician. With the influence of an artistic family, the value of passion was always in my blood. Growing up in one of the most diffic