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This is the eleventh in a series of articles showcasing the wide
variety of notable gays and lesbians that have made contributions
throughout history. This is the third and final installment on gay
athletes in individual sports.
Shaun McGill (1961-1992) was a gay Canadian figure skater. He was the
1988 wold professional silver medalist. McGill kept his HIV-positive
status secret, at least partially in fear that he would be barred from
entering the United States, where he frequently performed and worked as
a coach and choreographer. Many other male figure skaters and coaches
have felt it necessary to do the same.
Kevin Sheldrake (1961-) is a gay British athlete. Throughout his
teenage years, he competed in athletic competitions with clubs in
Germany, where his father was based with the RAF. In the 1990 Gay Games
in Vancouver, he won gold and silver medals for athletics (track and
field). He has been involved with the British Lesbian and Gay Sports
Federation, and coaching athletics.
Mark Leduc (1962-) is a gay Canadian boxer. He won the silver medal in
the light welterweight (140 pound) division at the 1992 Barcelona
Summer Olympics. Leduc came out when he retired from boxing.
Rob McCall (?-1991) was a gay Canadian ice dancer. He and his partner,
Tracy Wilson, were seven-time Canadian national champions (1982-1988),
placed eighth at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympic Games, took third place
three out of seven times at the World Championships (1986-1988), won
the bronze medal at the 1988 Calgary Olympic Games, and were the 1988
World Professional champions. McCall died of AIDS complications. The
Rob McCall Centre for HIV Research at the Queen Elizabeth II Health
Sciences Centre in Nova Scotia is named in his memory, as is one of the
Toronto PWA Foundation's Ovation! Namesake Awards--the Rob McCall Award
for Athletics, for "an athlete taking an active and/or visible role in
the promotion of needs of people living with HIV/AIDS."
Bruce Hayes (1964-) is a gay American swimmer. He won a gold medal
anchoring the 800-meter freestyle relay at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer
Olympics. Hayes competed in the 1994 Gay Games IV in New York City,
breaking four World Masters swimming records; he was also spokesmodel
for the games.
Beatriz "Gigi" Fernandez (1964-) is a lesbian Puerto Rican professional
tennis player. She is primarily known as a doubles player, winning 65
doubles titles, including 15 Grand Slam events; her career prize money
tops $4 million. With Mary Joe Fernandez, she won women's doubles gold
medals at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics and the 1996 Atlanta
Summer Olympics. Gigi has also played mixed doubles and singles, wining
two titles. In 1988, she was named Puerto Rican Female Athlete of the
Year. Gigi came out by appearing with Martina Navratilova (see last
month) at the 1993 March on Washington. Fernandez' relationship with
Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez (see below) "has been an open
secret on the women's tour among other players, writers, and fans."
Geert Blanchart (?-) is a gay Belgian short-track speed skater. He
competed in the Olympic Winter Games. In 1994, he won a silver medal in
the 18-29 Elite Men's In-Line Skating at Gay Games IV in New York City.
David Pichler (1968-) is a gay American diver. He has won seven
national titles, has been on the national team from since 1989, and
competed in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. He appeared on the cover
of The Advocate's 1997 summer double issue on Generation Q, and inside
in an interview by Greg Louganis (see previous installment), which
revealed almost as much about Louganis as it did about Pichler.
Rudy Galindo (1969-) is a gay Mexican-American figure skater. He
overcame many obstacles in his climb to the Men's U.S. National Title
in January, 1996, as an openly gay man (and the oldest men's champion
in 70 years, at age 26, and the first Mexican-American). Dick Button
(see last month) said of Rudy's rehearsals earlier in the week that "it
appeared as if he were being lifted by Angels." Washington Post
reporter Christine Brennan, in her new book Inside Edge: A Revealing
Journey Into the Secret World of Figure Skating (which "lists some of
the more than 100 skating-related men who have died of AIDS
complications [including coaches, choreographers, and skaters past and
present], and those who are living with AIDS"), said "Galindo's victory
...was one of the grandest upsets in figure skating history...Galindo
landed eight triple jumps, and each was lofty, lilting and perfect."
He was such an underdog that he wasn't even in the media guide! Rudy
started his competitive ice skating career in pairs, with Kristi
Yamaguchi; together, they won two American titles. As a single skater,
he had never placed higher than fifth in the seniors (18 and older)
division. In 1991, Yamaguchi left him to pursue singles (she won the
gold medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics). Galindo was reportedly
"devastated" at her decision and began experimenting with drugs. He
lost his brother, George, and two coaches, Rich Inglesi (in 1995) and
Jim Hulick (in 1996), to AIDS. Also, Rudy's father died of a heart
attack in 1993. "Galindo spent most of 1995 training others because he
had no funds for his own career. He says if the championships hadn't
been held in his own hometown, San Jose, he might not have competed.
His sister and coach, his 'Bank of Laura,' helped finance Galindo's
return to competition." Rudy was honored as the grand marshall of the
1997 San Diego Pride Parade.
Matthew Hall (1970-) is a gay figure skater on the Canadian national
team. He started playing hockey at age 2 ("a typical Canadian kid"),
but gave it up at six, tired of being a goalie. Hall later dabbled with
diving, gymnastics, soccer, and track, before eventually becoming a
figure skater. He came out in 1992, the first professional or nationally
ranked athlete to come out while still active in his or her sport.
Conchita Martinez (1972-) is a lesbian Spanish professional tennis
player. She has won 28 singles titles (including one Wimbledon victory)
and 5 doubles titles; her career prize money tops $6 million. She
played both singles and doubles at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics
and the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal in women's
doubles in 1996. In additional to Navratilova, Fernandez, and Martinez,
the sexual orientation of "at least half a dozen other players" on the
women's tour has been an "open secret;" two of the almost-out players
are Czechs Hana Mandlikova (1962-) and Jana Novotna (1968-).
Missy "Missile" Giove (1972?-) is a lesbian American mountain bike
racer. She won the gold medal at the 1994 World Downhill Mountain Bike
championships. Giove appeared on the cover of Deneuve (now Curve), a
lesbian magazine, and in The Advocate's 1997 summer double issue on
Generation Q.
Our Gay and Lesbian Heritage by Bruce Britton - Part 10
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