Celebrate The 52 LGBTQ Women and Non-Binary Athletes Who Medaled at the Tokyo Olympics

Feature image: Raven Saunders by Christian Petersen/Getty Images // Chelsea Gray by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images // Yulimar Rojas by Kaz Photography/Getty Images // Quinn by Naomi Baker/Getty Images

The Tokyo Olympics were such a surreal experience: watching athletes from around the globe come together to compete in delayed events during the middle of a still-raging worldwide pandemic. There were no fans. There was deeply valid criticism of the racist and transphobic legistaltive decisions of the International Olympic Committee. And there were sports. So many sports. So many dreams — crushed and realized — and stories and unforgettable moments. These were also the most openly gay Olympics by far, and so they were also the Olympics where the most gay people medaled. By my count, 52 LGBTQ women and non-binary athletes brought home gold, silver, and bronze. Natalie and I have compiled this list for you of all the winners, with their Instagrams, so you can follow them home like you followed them through the games!

Winners are listed first by medal, then by home country. 

GOLD

Ana Marcela Cunha, Brazil

10K Swim

Quinn, Canada

Soccer

Quinn is also the first trans, non-binary athlete to medal at the Olympics!

Kadeisha Buchanan, Canada

Soccer

Erin McLeod, Canada

Soccer

Kailen Sheridan, Canada

Soccer

Stephanie Labbe, Canada

Soccer

Amandine Leynaud, France

Handball

Cleopatre Darleux kisses teammate Amandine Leynaud of Team France while posing with their gold medals during the medal ceremony for Women's Handball on day sixteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Yoyogi National Stadium on August 08, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Alexandra Lacrabère, France

Handball

Amandine Buchard, France

Mixed Team Judo 52KG

Kellie Harrington, Ireland

Boxing, Lightweight

Emma Twigg, New Zealand

Rowing, Single Sculls

Gayle Broughton, New Zealand

Rugby

Ruby Tui, New Zealand

Rugby

Kelly Brazier, New Zealand

Rugby

Portia Woodman, New Zealand

Rugby

Anne Veenendaal, Netherlands

Field Hockey

Sue Bird, USA

Basketball

Chelsea Gray, USA

Basketball

Brittney Griner, USA

Basketball

Breanna Stewart, USA

Basketball

Diana Taurasi, USA

Basketball

Diana Taurasi of the United States poses for photos after the women's basketball final between the United States and Japan at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Saitama, Japan, Aug. 8, 2021. (Photo by Meng Yongmin/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Photo by Meng Yongmin/Xinhua via Getty Images

Stefanie Dolson, USA

3×3 Basketball

Yulimar Rojas, Venezuela

Triple Jump

SILVER

Ana Carolina, Brazil

Volleyball

Astrid Guyart, France

Fencing

Nesthy Petecio, Philippines

Boxing

Katarzyna Zillmann, Poland

Rowing

Jolanta Ogar, Poland

Sailing, Women’s Two Person Dinghy – 470

Caroline Seger, Sweden

Soccer

Magda Eriksson, Sweden

Soccer

Lina Hurtig, Sweden

Soccer

Hedvig Lindahl, Sweden

Soccer

Ally Carda, USA

Softball

Amanda Chidester, USA

Softball

Haylie McCleney, USA

Softball

Raven Saunders, USA

Shot-put

Erica Sullivan, USA

1500m Freestyle Swim

Hannah Roberts, USA

BMX Freestyle

BRONZE

Leah Wilkinson, Britain

Field Hockey

Sarah Jones, Britain

Field Hockey

Susannah Townsend, Britain

Field Hockey

Larissa Franklin, Canada

Softball

Joey Lye, Canada

Softball

Jasmin Grabowski, Germany

Judo, 78KG

Raz Hershko, Israel

Judo, Mixed Teams

Lucilla Boari, Italy

Archery

Sanne van Dijke, Netherlands

Judo, 70KG

Tierna Davidson, USA

Soccer

Adrianna Franch, USA

Soccer

Kelley O’Hara, USA

Soccer

Megan Rapinoe, USA

Soccer

Kristie Mewis, USA

Soccer

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Heather Hogan

Heather Hogan is an Autostraddle senior editor who lives in New York City with her wife, Stacy, and their cackle of rescued pets. She's a member of the Television Critics Association, GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, and a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer critic. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram.

Heather has written 1718 articles for us.

13 Comments

  3. So happy for all the queers on the Canadian soccer team!

    Also lighting a candle for all the queers who wanted to participate in this Olympics but couldn’t due to racist or transphobic rulings 🕯

  6. So are we learning that some sports are gayer than others? Or just happens to shake out that way in the medals? Track+field seem underrepresented, compared to soccer/basketball, for example. (We needed Sha’Carri! 😭)

    • I was watching the 10km and I think the number 4 had rainbow hair? Canadian. I forgot her name. But excellent hair.

  9. The brazilian volleyball team also has Carol Gattaz, she was the best middle blocker in the olympics

    • The Gay Games are a thing, altho I’ve never watched them.

      (Thanks to the IOC’s super-trademark, they’re not called the Gay Olympics as was originally planned.)

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