Gay diver breaks Australian sporting taboo

by Kathy Marks in Sydney, The Independent

Australia's cities all boast thriving gay communities, and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, which recently celebrated its 30th birthday, has become a mainstream cultural event. Yet Australian sport remains a bastion of heterosexuality – on the surface, at least.

Now a diver, Matthew Mitcham, has taken his first cautious steps towards dispelling that myth. Mitcham, 20, who will be competing in Beijing, will be the first openly gay Australian to take part in an Olympic games.

The Queenslander, who is now based in Sydney, told the Sydney Morning Herald that he had applied for a grant to enable his partner, Lachlan, to accompany him to the Games. Lachlan has supported him throughout a turbulent period during which he fought depression and temporarily retired from his chosen sport.

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