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Out at the Olympics

Basketball player says being open was an easy decision for her

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Out athlete Seimone Augustus is already a gold medal-winning Olympian. She hopes to add to her medal count in London. (Photo by Neil Enns; courtesy Dane Creek Photography)

With 12,602 athletes set to compete in the London 2012 Summer Olympics, it’s hard to believe that so few are openly gay or lesbian. Despite newfound presidential support for same-sex marriage and growing LGBT media visibility, the number of out athletes is really no more impressive than in the past two Summer Olympic games (11 in Athens 2004, 10 in Beijing 2008). Estimates this year range from nine to 20.

Some Olympic athletes decide to stay in the closet. However women’s basketball player Seimone Augustus is one openly gay Olympian whose reasons for going public with her identity outweigh those for keeping it concealed.

“Everybody’s been real receptive and real positive. To me it’s a big relief because people want to know who you are as an athlete and now as a person,” Augustus says during a phone interview. “It’s a big part of who I am.”

Augustus, a Baton Rouge, La., native, has shown tremendous talent in basketball since she was 3 years old and started playing on a junior team for 5-year-old boys. By 2006, she was the No. 1 WNBA draft pick for the Minnesota Lynx after playing for Louisiana State University. With her phenomenal record she was then named to the 2007-2008 USA Basketball Women’s Senior National Team. At the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, she became a gold medalist.

Other openly LGBT athletes who will compete in London this summer include German fencer Imke Duplitzer, American soccer player Megan Rapinoe, Australian diver Matthew Mitcham, Dutch field hockey players Marilyn Agliotti and Maartie Paumen, German cyclist Judith Arndt, Dutch equestrian Edward Gal and Swedish soccer player Jessica Landström. The U.S. women’s soccer head coach, Pia Sundage, is also openly gay.

“It’s 2012. Things are changing. People are more open-minded now. For your sanity and comfort it’s time to let people know who you really are,” Augustus says. “It’s a hard thing to do but you want to get that weight off the shoulder.”

Pride House 2012, a festival hosted by a number of LGBT sports organizations including Pride Sports UK and the LGBT consortium, will provide a gay-friendly venue for all athletes, staff and spectators of the London 2012 Olympics to celebrate LGBT involvement in sports from Aug. 3-7 at the CA House overlooking the Limehouse Basin Marina in London.

Pride House was a success at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and this year will feature live music from local LGBT organizations, exhibits, video presentations and various sports programs, including the “Football vs. Homophobia” football tournament. The event is an attempt to foster greater LGBT visibility in the Olympics and provide a comfortable space for Olympic athletes who are in or out of the closet and to educate anyone who is curious how the LGBT community has impacted sports.

“Being gay is just one part of being a human, and being able to be out in the sport that you really love and enjoy shows how complete a person you are,” Kurt Dahl, co-president of the Federation of Gay Games, says. “[Coming out] really allows a person to do what they love and put everything into it.”

The Federation of Gay Games is another of the organizations hosting Pride House 2012 to highlight LGBT Olympic involvement.

“The more people who are visible and participating, the easier it is for people who don’t have the rights and ability to do that,” Emy Ritt, the Games’ other co-president, says on coming out. “It shows that LGBT people are everywhere and is bringing the public to a better place.”

Seimone is happy to have found that place in her life where she feels ready to be out publicly as an athlete. Her engagement to girlfriend LaTaya Varner in May was one factor that facilitated this sense of comfort.

“She made me feel more comfortable with who I am. When someone gets engaged and they’re happy with their life it’s time,” Augustus says. “I’m really happy with where I am playing basketball and on the Olympic route. So many great things have happened in my life. I want everyone to know about it.”

The opening ceremony for the London 2012 Summer Olympics airs today (Friday) at 4 p.m. on NBC, and the games continue through Aug. 12.

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Out & About

This queer comedy show will warm you up

Catfish Comedy to feature LGBTQ lineup

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(Promotional image via Eventbrite)

Catfish Comedy will host “2026 Queer Kickoff Show” on Thursday, Feb. 5 at A League of Her Own (2319 18th Street, N.W.). This show features D.C.’s funniest LGBTQ and femme comedians. The lineup features performers who regularly take the stage at top clubs like DC Improv and Comedy Loft, with comics who tour nationally.

Tickets are $17.85 and can be purchased on Eventbrite

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Arts & Entertainment

Catherine O’Hara, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star and celebrated queer ally, dies at 71

Actress remembered for memorable comedic roles in ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘Home Alone’

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(Photo courtesy of Pop TV)

Catherine O’Hara, the varied comedic actor known for memorable roles in “Beetlejuice,” “Schitt’s Creek,” and “Home Alone,” has died at 71 on Friday, according to multiple reports. No further details about her death were revealed.

O’Hara’s death comes as a shock to Hollywood, as the Emmy award-winning actor has been recently active, with roles in both “The Studio” and “The Last of Us.” For her work in those two shows, she received Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series and outstanding guest actress in a drama series.

In 2020, O’Hara won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a comedy series award for her work in the celebrated sixth and final season of “Schitt’s Creek.” She was also known as a queer ally and icon for her theatrical and often campy performances over multiple decades. In “Schitt’s Creek,” she played Moira Rose, the wig-loving mother of David Rose (played by series creator Dan Levy). David is pansexual, but the characters around him simply accept him for who he is; the show was embraced by the LGBTQ community with how naturally David’s sexuality was written and portrayed. That show ran from 2015 to 2020 and helped bring O’Hara and her co-stars into a new phase of their careers.

In a 2019 interview with the Gay Times, O’Hara explained why the show got LGBTQ representation right: “Daniel has created a world that he wants to live in, that I want to live in. It’s ridiculous that we live in a world where we don’t know how to respect each other and let each other be. It’s crazy. Other shows should follow suit and present the world and present humans as the best that we can be. It doesn’t mean you can’t laugh, that you can’t be funny in light ways and dark ways. It’s all still possible when you respect and love each other.”

Additional credits include “SCTV Network” (for which O’Hara won a writing Emmy), “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Six Feet Under,” “Best in Show,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” and “Dick Tracy.” O’Hara also lent her voice to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Chicken Little,” “Monster House,” and “Elemental.” O’Hara was expected to return for Season 2 of “The Studio,” which started filming earlier this month.

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Calendar

Calendar: January 30-February 5

LGBTQ events in the days to come

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Friday, January 30

Friday Tea Time will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Bring your beverage of choice. For more information, contact Mac ([email protected]).

Spark Social will host “RuPaul’s Drag Race S18 Watch Party” at 8 p.m. This event will be hosted by local drag queens TrevHER and Grey, who will provide hilarious commentary and make live predictions on who’s staying and who’s going home. Stick around after the show for a live drag performance. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite

Saturday, January 31

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation.  Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Sunday, February 1

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community and Conversation” at noon at As You Are. This event is for those looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ+ community. Look for the Go Gay DC sign on the long table near the front window. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Monday, February 2

“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam (adamheller@thedccenter.org).

Tuesday, February 3

Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more information, email [email protected]

Wednesday, February 4

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.

Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older LGBTQ+ women can meet and socialize with one another. There will be discussion, activities, and a chance for guests to share what they want future events to include. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website

Thursday, February 5

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245. 

Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breath work and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.  

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