Two Canada Post workers in the Canadian province of New Brunswick have been suspended after refusing to deliver flyers from Campaign Life Coalition calling for a ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
The flyers, which describe gender-affirming medical procedures as “chemical and surgical mutilation” and declare that “God doesn’t make mistakes,” were distributed ahead of the province’s October 21 election.
Shannon Aitchison, a Canada Post carrier and union representative, was suspended for five days without pay. Aitchison, who has atransgender child, said she couldn’t deliver the materials. “The third flyer was straight-up nonsense,” she told the Brantford Expositer. “‘God doesn’t make mistakes,’ so you’re telling me my child is a mistake?”
According to the news outlet, five postal workers in the Saint John area refused to deliver the flyers. Two were suspended, and others used personal days to avoid delivering the controversial material.
Canada Post defended its decision, stating that the flyers did not meet the legal definition of “non-mailable matter” and thus had to be delivered. “Our important and longstanding role to deliver the country’s mail should not be seen as tolerance or support for the contents of any mailing,” Canada Post spokesperson Valérie Chartrand said. “We are a neutral third party regardless of our views.”
CBC reported on August 26 that Campaign Life Coalition has been distributing similar flyers across New Brunswick, supporting Premier Blaine Higgs’ “parental rights” policies. Similarly to far-right measures in some areas of the United States, these policies require teachers to get parental consent before using a student’s chosen name or pronouns if the student is under 16.
PinkNews examines the issues faced by bisexual people at work, the impact of bi-erasure and what colleagues and employers alike can do to support their bisexual colleagues.
A common experience for many bisexual people is the feeling of being invisible, and this rings true for the workplace. Many bisexual people are faced with the choice of being out and living their authentic selves or trying ‘fit in’.
With the amount of time spent at work, having to hide a huge part of one’s identity can be emotionally draining and can lead to burnout, mental health issues and even exacerbate imposter syndrome.
LGBTQ+ people are often discriminated against and even bullied at work: Data from McKinsey suggests that up to 30 per cent of LGBTQ+ people believe that their sexual identity will harm their career progression.
Katherine, an art history professor at a small state university in the rural US Midwest, believes her bisexual identity has positively impacted her career in academia – but she remains acutely aware of the issues it poses, too.
The bisexual Pride flag. (Getty)
She tells PinkNews: “While working in a Women’s and Gender Studies department for five years, in a way [being bisexual] legitimises my research and teaching interests. When introducing myself to students in those classes, it creates a safe space for my LGBTQ+ students to share their experiences and perspectives.”
However, living in a largely conservative part of the country and with anti-LGBTQ+ bills on the rise, Katherine still maintains a level of care in how she discloses her sexual identity.
“I mostly have fear from outside the university setting from internet trolls and conservative politicians,” she explains. “But this is also one of the reasons I try to be so open with students. So many of them come from rural communities where they can’t explore their own sexuality or gender.”
The impact of bisexual erasure at work
Many in the bisexual community contend with bi-erasure – the tendency to remove, ignore and even falsify experiences of bisexuality in legacy media, academia and history. In its most extreme form, bi-erasure can also manifest as the belief that bisexuality doesn’t exist.
Bisexual people can experience specific micro-aggressions at work, including assumptions about their partners and relationships and inappropriate questions about their personal lives. Bisexual women are often fetishised and bisexual men are often told that they are “too afraid to come out as gay.”
Frustratingly for the bi community is that sometimes bi-erasure and micro-aggressions come from within the LGBTQ+ community itself.
Fears of experiencing this could be preventing bi people from being out at work. Data from Catalyst found that in the US, just 17.5 per cent of bisexual men are out at work, compared to 50 per cent of gay men. For bisexual women, nearly 20 per cent are out compared to 49 per cent of lesbians.
Katherine admits that bi-erasure does happen frequently: “People tend to view any monogamous relationship, regardless of the gender of those involved, as being straight or gay.”
She says she combats bi-erasure by being more open with friends and family, yet she does acknowledge the negative impact it can cause.
“I think the bi-erasure affects me in the way that it is part of me, and I hate that in some cases I cannot share that part of me for fear of being targeted politically.”
Supporting bisexual colleagues and employees at work
Here in the UK, the most recent census data reveals that 1.28 per cent of the population (640,000) identified themselves as bisexual. For Gen Z specifically, those born between 1997 and 2012, four per cent identified themselves as bi.
As the younger generations feel more comfortable being out and head into the workplace, the responsibility of employers and colleagues to recognise all facets of the LGBTQ+ community is even more crucial.
Aside from simple steps like respecting pronouns and challenging bullying and discrimination, there are some other things business leaders and co-workers can do to support the ‘B’ in the LGBTQ+.
Education
Bisexuality is often misunderstood and can be attached to stereotypes. If employers understand that being bisexual is a valid sexual orientation, and that the sex of an employee’s partner, partners or spouse does not immediately categorise them as ‘gay’ or ‘straight’, it can create an empathetic working environment where everyone has the opportunity to live their authentic lives while at work. Business leaders should consider targeted training and resources that specifically tackle the bi-experience.
Listening and communication
Active listening is a powerful tool for supporting bisexual employees. Much like the rest of the LGBTQ+ community, no two peoples experiences are the same. Creating opportunities for open conversations where bisexual employees can share their experiences, concerns, and suggestions. Be empathetic and validate their feelings, showing that you genuinely care about their well-being. Encourage a culture of respectful communication, where everyone’s perspectives are valued.
Respect privacy and the ‘coming out’ experience
Coming out is a personal journey, and it’s important not to pressure anyone to disclose their sexual orientation. Never assume someone’s sexual orientation or share their personal information without their consent. Part of an inclusive workplace is creating a safe space where employees can choose to share when they’re ready promotes trust and respect.
The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear a legal challenge to a Tennessee banon trans healthcare.
The bill, approved by state lawmakers last year, mimics similar laws in other states, with civil penalties for any adult who aids a minor to receive getting out-of-state gender-affirming care without their parent’s consent.
Several families, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued Tennessee to prevent the bill passing into law.
The case will now be heard by the country’s top court in October.
The ACLU’s deputy director for trans justice, Chase Strangio, said: “The future of countless transgender youth in this and future generations rests on this court adhering to the facts, the constitution and its own modern precedent.
“These bans represent a dangerous and discriminatory affront to the well-being of transgender youth across the country and their constitutional right to equal protection under the law. They are the result of an openly political effort to wage war on a marginalised group and our most fundamental freedoms.”
Following the Supreme Court’s decision to take the case, 64 trans adults, including actor Elliot Page, filed a brief sharing their own experiences.
What is the Supreme Court case US v Skrmetti?
Following the passing of the bill in the state house of representatives and senate, the ACLU, and Lambda Legal, aided by lawyers from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, sued Tennessee.
The pushback was, to a large degree, over the bill’s aim to outlaw medical care for trans youngsters up to the age of 18, while those currently receiving gender-affirming care would have been forced to end it by July 2023.
Samantha Williams, from Nashville, who brought the case on behalf of her trans 15-year-old daughter, said it was “incredibly painful” to watch her child suffer as a consequence of the proposed legislation.
“We have a confident, happy daughter now, who is free to be herself and she is thriving,” Williams said. “I am so afraid of what this law will mean for her.”
In June 2023, a federal judge blocked the bill from going forward. But a federal appeal court overturned that decision last September, allowing the bill to go into effect, a decision the ACLU described as “beyond disappointing.”
In June this year, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. While the outcome will specifically affect the Tennessee bill, it is likely to set a legal precedent for similar laws in other states.
Data collected and shared by the ACLU found that at least 530 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been proposed in the US since the beginning of the year, with 112 of those being healthcare restrictions.
Lambda Legal senior lawyer Tara Borelli said: “This court has historically rejected efforts to uphold discriminatory laws. Without similar action here, these punitive, categorical bans on the provision of gender-affirming care will continue to wreak havoc on the lives of transgender youth and their families.”
Tool company Stanley Black & Decker is the latest US firm to face right-wing criticism and calls for a boycott for having diversity, equality and inclusion policies (DEI) in place
Consumers’ Research, which describes itself as an independent educational organisation which dates back to 1929, and which boasts that it targets “wokeness” in businesses, has called out the Connecticut-based company for supporting racial equality, LGBTQ+ causes and net-zero climate goals.
The not-for-profit organisation was originally set up to test consumer products and report the results, a bit like Which? – the United Kingdom organisation that promotes informed consumer choice by testing products.
However, in 1981, Consumers’ Research was sold to conservative commentator M. Stanton Evans. It completely abandoned its previous core mission, moved its headquarters to Washington, D.C., and entirely stopped assessing products. Its New Jersey testing laboratories were closed down by 1983.
The organisation went dormant in 2000 before being resurrected over 20 years later as a Republican-aligned group, launching a campaign against so-called woke companies in 2021, and seeking to “[put] corporations on notice” and expose “numerous companies that have chosen to put woke politics above consumer interests”.
They have a section on their website which encourages visitors to report “companies who are going woke.”
In 2022, Consumers’ Research was instrumental in forcing insurance company State Farm to drop a partnership with GenderCool, a group that shares positive stories about transgender and nonbinary youth.
Consumers’ Research ran an advertising campaign calling State Farm “a creepy neighbour” and accusing the insurance company of targeting children with books about gender identity. State Farm dropped their support.
Black & Decker boycott
Stanley Black and Decker has been called out over DEI (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
In urging a boycott of Stanley Black & Decker, the group says: “Stanley Black & Decker should focus on its customers, not woke politicians”, and urges customers to “contact Stanley Black & Decker and demand that they drop their ESG [environmental, social and governance] commitments and stop their DEI hiring practices”.
In a threat shared on X/Twitter, Will Hild, Consumers’ Research’s executive director, labelled Black & Decker “the latest formerly great American company to become tools of the radical left”, adding: “The company has abandoned their consumer focus and instead now says their ‘highest priority’ is advancing DEI both internally and externally.”
The tool-maker is the latest US firm to be targeted by conservative bigotry as culture wars continue to rage.
The backlash to businesses with DEI commitments have become the focus of right-wing pundit and failed political hopeful Robby Starbuck.
In recent months, Starbuck has stirred up social media storms against brands such as Harley-Davidson, Jack Daniel’s, Ford, Lowe’s and John Deere. A number of the companies have caved in and issued internal memos announcing they will abandon DEI commitments, such as support for Pride festivals, end partnerships with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and stop commenting on “polarising” issues.
Starbuck, who produced an anti-trans film that was banned by Amazon’s streaming service, has insisted in several posts that “we are winning, and one by one we will bring sanity back to corporate America”.
Stanley Black & Decker is the latest firm to be criticised for DEI commitments. (Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
It’s not just Starbuck driving the fight. Former president Donald Trump has also been highly critical of DEI initiatives, while Project 2025 – hard-line right-wing policy group The Heritage Foundation’s vision for a second Trump administration – has attacked equality measures within government agencies.
The HRC has been critical of Starbuck, labelling him a “MAGA weirdo” and condemning businesses for “cowering” to him.
“This is obviously something that is having a moment, so to speak,” Eric Bloem, HRC’s vice-president of programmes and corporate advocacy, told USA Today. “This notion that we need a return to sanity or a return to neutrality is something that doesn’t resonate with people who are legitimately focused on business outcomes.”
HRC’s 2024 LGBTQ+ Climate Survey found that more than 80 per cent of LGBTQ+ people would boycott a company which rolled back DEI commitments, with more than half saying they would urge others to also not buy goods from such businesses.
Orlando Gonzales, HRC senior vice-president programmes, research and training, said: “The LGBTQ+ community is an economic powerhouse, and we want to work for and support companies who support us. “Attacks on DEI initiatives are short-sighted and make our workplaces less safe and less inclusive for hard-working Americans of all demographics and backgrounds.
“This new data confirms that companies like [brewers] Molson-Coors, Ford and others that abandon their values and backtrack from commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion, risk losing both top employee talent and consumer dollars.”
Health research groups have responded to the lack of inclusive questions in the 2026 Census in Australia. They say that excluding gender, sexual orientation or diverse sex characteristics questions would make populations “invisible”.
Multiple health and research organisations have said that failing to add questionsimportant to the LGBTQ+ community in the upcoming census would put these groups at further risk of “marginalisation and disadvantage”.
Eight health research groups, including the Australian Human Rights Institute and the University of New South Wales’(UNSW) Kirby Institute, have urged the government to reconsider its decision.
He also said that the federal government informed the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to cancel questions on sexuality, gender and diverse sex characteristics because they “weren’t appropriate”.
Health research organisations say LGBTQ+ groups are at ‘increased risk of marginalisation’
Multiple health research organisations have issued a joint statement, urging the government to reconsider its decision to exclude questions aimed at the LGBTQ+ community in Australia’s 2026 Census.
The statement read: “When populations are invisible in the Census, they are at increased risk of marginalisation and disadvantage.”
The groups added that the questions had already “undergone rigorous testing” and the decision to exclude them was “not sufficient”.
It continued: “The omission of comprehensive data collection on sex, gender, and innate variations of sex characteristics in the 2026 Census will undermine our ability to understand the health needs and socio-economic well-being of LGBTI+ populations.”
“We call on our leaders to be clear and bold in ensuring no one is overlooked due to data gaps,” it concluded.
The statement was signed by UNSW’s Kirby Institute, the Centre for Sex and Gender in Health and Medical Research, the Centre for Social Research in Health, the Social Policy Research Centre, the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, the Australian Human Rights Institute, UNSW’s Community of Practice for Inclusive Research for Queer and Trans People, and People with variations of sex characteristics, and UNSW’s School of Population Health.
A gay former pupil and his mother are suing a school district where he allegedly experienced relentless bullying, including verbal abuse, threats of violence and another student making a “straight pride” poster with his face on it.
The legal complaint, filed by the student’s mother in June 2023, details that when he attended Ronald Reagan Middle School, in Haymarket, Virginia, he faced “regular and relentless anti-LGBTQ+ bullying” from classmates.
The defendants named in the case are the Prince William County School Board, the principal, Christopher Beemer, and assistant principal Jenita Boatwright.
Beemer still works as the school but Boatwright has left.
The claimant alleges that Beemer, Boatwright and the school board responded to requests for help “with victim-blaming and inaction”.
The openly gay student started in sixth grade at the school in August 2019 which is when the alleged victimisation began, with the first incident involving classmates taking his belongings and passing them around the classroom while voicing homophobic slurs, it is claimed.
The teacher reportedly did not put an end to the bullying and it happened three more times.
The verbal harassment is said to have continued and in December 2021 five students surrounded the boy outside the school building, again using homophobic slurs.
In the complaint, the boy’s mother says two teachers who were nearby did nothing to help and when the student got into his mother’s car, the bullies gave her the middle finger.
It is also alleged that in 2022, one student made the “straight pride” poster while a number of bullies cornered him in the toilet, banged on the stall door and shouted: “There’s a girl in here,” threatening violence.
A judge denied a school board motion dismiss the case but Beemer and Boatwright’s was granted in part.
The case asserts four causes of action: sex discrimination under Title IX civil rights protections against the school board, an equal protection clause violation against the individual defendants, a violation against the individual defendants, which the judge dismissed, and gross negligence against the individual defendants.
District judge Rossie D Alston Jr gave the plaintiffs 14 days to file an amended complaint for the charge that was dismissed.
A school board spokesperson told Inside Nova it does not comment on active cases but “remains committed to providing an inclusive and excellent education for every student and has no tolerance for harassment, bullying or intimidation of students”.
A major US health insurance company is making artificial insemination available on all its eligible plans – regardless of sexual orientation or partner status.
Aetna, a subsidiary of CVS Health, announced the landmark change its intrauterine insemination (IUI) policy on Tuesday (27 August). Members can access the benefit as a test of fertility and, in some cases, to increase the chances of pregnancy.
“Expanding IUI coverage is yet another demonstration of Aetna’s commitment to women’s health across all communities, including LGBTQ+ and unpartnered people,” the company’s chief medical officer, Cathy Moffitt, said.
“This industry-leading policy change is a stake in the ground, reflecting Aetna’s support of all who need to use this benefit as a preliminary step in building their family.”
Aetna is one of the United States’ largest medical insurance providers, serving over 35 million people and when combined with the rest of CVS Health, makes up 11 per cent of the market share.
What is IUI?
Also known as artificial insemination, IUI is a fertility treatment that involves placing specially prepared sperm directly into the uterus. The procedure is done around the time of ovulation, to increase the chances of fertilisation.
The procedure is usually the first step for couples with unexplained fertility problems, but can also be used for single women and LGBTQ+ couples wanting to start a family. Unlike in vitro fertilisation, where the egg is fertilised in a lab and the embryos then implanted into the uterus, IUI is a direct injection of the sperm.
While IUI is generally less costly, the success rates are lower than IVF, especially for those over the age of 35.
Ground-breaking shift in policy for LGBTQ+ parents-to-be
Aetna’s previous policy only provided IUI treatments to straight couples who said they were not able to conceive after trying for six or 12 months, depending on their ages.
Single women and LGBTQ+ couples were required to pay for 12 cycles of IUI before they became eligible for coverage. The discrepancy was the subject of a 2021 lawsuit brought by a couple in New York.
In response, Aetna, without acknowledging any wrongdoing, committed to ensuring equal fertility treatment coverage for all policyholders, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. This includes reimbursing past claims for eligible LGBTQ+ individuals and establishing a $2 million (£1.5 million) fund to compensate those affected by the disparity.
Kate Steinle, the chief clinical officer at Folx, an American healthcare provider for the LGBTQ+ community, said: “We know first-hand the barriers people face in accessing medical care to start or grow their families.
“As an in-network provider focused on the LGBTQ+ community, we applaud Aetna’s efforts to reduce out-of-pocket costs, so that more people can have the families they dream of and deserve.”
The new policy comes into effect on Sunday (1 September).
US supreme court justices have ruled that president Joe Biden’s expanded Title IX protections cannot be enforced in 26 states where legal challenges are ongoing.
Title IX is a landmark piece of civil rights legislation which protects people from discrimination based on sex, in education programmes or activities that receive federal financial assistance, and is best-known for ensuring gender equality in college sports.
In April, Biden finalised the new anti-discrimination rules – first proposed in 2022 – which aim to protect people in public schools from sex-based discrimination and harassment, providing explicit protections for LGBTQ+ pupils and expressly prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
However, before the amendments could take effect, several Republican-controlled states vowed to reject the law, suing the Biden administration and labelling the legislation “illegal, undemocratic and divorced from reality”, claiming it puts “women at risk”.
On Friday (16 August), in a 5-4 vote, the US Supreme Court denied the administration’s request to allow most of the Title IX rule to go into force where courts have issued injunctions temporarily blocking it.
“In this emergency posture in this court, the burden is on the government as applicant to show, among other things, a likelihood of success on its… argument…” the ruling reads. “On this limited record, the government has not provided this court [with] a sufficient basis to disturb the lower courts’ interim conclusions that the three provisions found likely to be unlawful are intertwined with, and affect, other provisions of the rule.
“Nor has the government adequately identified which particular provisions, if any, are sufficiently independent of the enjoined definitional provision and thus might be able to remain in effect. Moreover… the Sixth Circuit has already expedited its consideration of the case and scheduled oral argument for October.
“The court expects that the Courts of Appeals will render their decisions with appropriate dispatch. In light of all of the circumstances, the court denies the government’s applications for partial stays.”
‘Cruel and hypocritical tactics
In response, Ria Tabacco Mar, the director of the American Civil Liberty’s (ACLU) Women’s Rights Project, said such lawsuits are “using attacks on trans kids as a way to roll back other rights for women and girls”.
She went on to say: “Attacking trans people does nothing to address the real problems women and girls face. We’re disappointed the Supreme Court allowed these cruel and hypocritical tactics to succeed, even temporarily. We will continue to fight for all students to learn in safe and equal schools.”
Jennesa Calvo-Friedman, a senior ACLU staff lawyer, said: “The new guidance from the Biden administration is crucial to clarifying the protections under Title IX for so many students, including transgender and other LGBTQ students, pregnant and parenting students, and other students facing sex-based harassment.
“But even without it, students are not unprotected.
“Despite what the Supreme Court did today, students can still bring private lawsuits against schools to vindicate their Title IX rights, including based on their gender identity or their pregnancy or parenting status, even in places where the rule is blocked.
“Schools should be aware that sex-based discrimination, including harassment, is unlawful, and students can still hold schools accountable. What’s more, schools do not have to wait for a mandate to adopt practices that welcome all kids. Trans-inclusive policies are still lawful, and schools can – and should – move forward with them.”
A young trans woman has been violently killed in Texas.
Dylan Gurley, 20, was found unconscious with multiple stab wounds by police on 23 July in Denton, Texas. The Little Elm resident was declared dead at a local hospital less than an hour after being found.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) reported that Gurley’s death is at least the 23rd violent killing of a trans or gender non-conforming person in the US in 2024.
A GoFundMe page created by Gurley’s sister is currently $500 away from its $5,000 target thanks to 77 donations. The funds raised will go towards Gurley’s memorial and marking her 21st birthday, which she would’ve celebrated on 18 August.
‘We are trying to put the pieces back together’
“We are just trying to put the pieces back together as best as we can and appreciate any and all help,” the fundraiser reads.
Little is currently known about the circumstances surrounding Gurley’s death, apart from the fact she was experiencing homelessness. At the moment no suspect has been identified.
According to tracking by the HRC, which began in 2013, Texas remains the state with the highest number of anti-trans murders. The taking of Gurley’s life marks the 36th since the organisation began tracking fatal violence in the state.
In Texas, trans and gender non-confirming people are not protected from discrimination across employment, housing, education and public spaces.
Texas’ Republican governor, Greg Abbott, is a vocal opponent of trans rights. In April, he said he wanted to “end” trans teachers expressing their identity in the classroom. In February he said the UN an “pound sand” after human rights groups raised concerns over the surge in anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the state.
Anyone with information regarding Gurley’s death can reach out to Denton Police by calling 940-349-7977. Anonymous tips can be reported at
Team LGBTQ+ (i.e. all of the publicly out lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer athletes) have finished in 7th place in the medal count, with an impressive 42 medals, consisting of 15 gold medals, 13 silver medals and 14 bronze medals. Slay!
In the traditional medal count (gold-silver-bronze) ranking, Team LGBTQ+ would be in 7th place.
That’s ahead of every single country that criminalises being gay, reports OutSports.
Japan was just in front of Team LGBTQ+ with 45 medals, while Italy was close behind with 40 medals, and the USA was way out in front of everyone with 126. Show offs.
For context, last time round, Team LGBTQ+ won a grand total of 32 team and individual medals – 11 gold, 12 silver and nine bronze – placing 10th in the 2021 Tokyo Games.
This year, Team LGBTQ+ smashed that number with their most-ever medals won.
However, that number will no doubt continue to increase over the course of future games as more athletes feel comfortable sharing their identity with the world.
Carl Hester is part of the bronze medal-winning Dressage Team. (Mike Hewitt/Getty)
Bronze Medals
Laura Aarts, Netherlands, Water Polo – Laura Aarts secured a bronze medal in the pool, beating the US.
Amandine Buchard, France, Judo – Amandine Buchard went from silver in Tokyo to gold in Paris in the 52kg category.
Natalya Diehm, Australia, BMX Freestyle – Natalya Diehm won a bronze medal which marked her as Australia’s first ever Women’s BMX Freestyle medal winner at an Olympic Games.
Lauren Doyle, Alev Kelter, Steph Rovetti, Kristi Kirshe, USA, Rugby Sevens – Rugby Sevens’ US team was bolstered by their LGBTQ+ stars and secured a bronze medal.
Beatriz Ferreira, Brazil, Boxing – Beatriz Ferreira won her second Olympic boxing medal after a thrilling match.
Carl Hester, Great Britain, Equestrian – Carl Hester (and his horse, Fame) secured his fourth Olympic medal in Paris with a bronze in Team Dressage.
Gabi Guimaraes, Ana Carolina Da Silva, Rosamaria Montibeller, Roberta, Brazil, Volleyball – The Brazillian women’s indoor volleyball team beat Turkey in the bronze medal match.
Evy Leibfarth, USA, Canoe Slalom – 20-year-old Evy Leibfarth, the first American to compete in three canoe/kayak Olympic disciplines, came away with a bronze.
Cindy Ngamba, Refugee team, Boxing – 25-year-old Cindy Ngamba has won a bronze medal in boxing, becoming the first athlete from the Olympic Refugee Team to win a medal at the Olympics.
Nesthy Petecio, Philippines, Boxing – Nesty Petecio won a bronze medal in boxing and is planning to retire after the Paris Olympics.
Tabea Schendekehl, Germany, Rowing – Tabea Schendekehl competed in the women’s quadruple sculls team event where she won a bronze medal.
Lea Schuller, Sara Doorsoun, Felicitas Rauch, Ann- Katrin Berger, Germany, Soccer – With four out players, Germany’s soccer team beat Spain 1-0.
Rafaela Silva, Brazil, Judo – Rafaela Silva won bronze in mixed-team judo, she won Brazil’s first gold medal at Rio 2016.
Samantha Whitcomb and Amy Atwell, Australia, Basketball – Winning bronze, Australia’s women’s basketball team secured their first Olympic medal since 2012.
Tom Daley wins a silver with his diving partner Noah Williams. (Clive Rose/Getty)
Silver Medals
Olivia Apps, Sophie de Goede, Maddy Grant, Canada, Rugby Sevens – The Canadian team took home the silver medal in women’s rugby sevens.
Perris Benegas, USA, BMX Freestyle – Perris Benegas freestyled her way to a silver medal after knee surgery a few months earlier.
Tom Daley, Great Britain, Diving – Avid knitter and Olympic icon Tom Daleywon a silver medal in the 10-meter platform synchro competition, his fifth Olympic medal, while his husband and sons looked on.
Raz Hershko, Israel, Judo – Raz Hershko won a bronze in Tokyo and secured a silver in Paris in the +78kg Judo category.
Michelle Kroppen, Germany, Archery – After a bronze team medal in Tokyo, Michelle Kroppen earned silver in the mixed team event.
Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour, Denmark, Equestrian – Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour was part of the Danish dressage team who won silver.
Marta, Adriana, Tarciane, Tamires, Luciana, Lorena, Taina, Lauren Leal, Brazil, Soccer – The Brazilian women’s soccer squad had the second most out, LGBTQ+ athletes of any team.
Emma Twigg, New Zealand, Rowing – Emma Twigg won a silver medal in single sculls, dethroned from her previous gold.
Sha’Carri Richardson, USA, Track & Field – Bisexual track and field star Sha’Carri Richardson won a silver medal in the 100-meter sprint.
Lauren Scruggs, USA, Fencing – Lauren Scruggs won silver in an all-American women’s individual final, she also won gold in a team event.
Maria Perez, Spain, Track & Field – Maria Perez proved queer people do walk fast; she got a silver medal in the 20km racewalk.
Marianne Vos, Netherlands, Cycling – From her first Olympics in 2008, Marianne Vos went on to win silver in the 2024 women’s road race.
Haleigh Washington, USA, Volleyball – Bisexual volleyball player Haleigh Washington was part fo the US women’s volleyball team who secured silver, the runners-up to Italy.
Alice Bellandi secures a gold medal for Team Italy. (Alex Gottschalk/Getty)
Gold Medals
Alice Bellandi, Italy, Judo – Alice Bellandi secured Italy a gold in Judo and to celebrate the win she smooched her girlfriend (fellow judo star Jasmine Martin, who competes for South Africa).
Amandine Buchard, France, Judo – Amandine Buchard was part of the mixed-team gold medal for a home crowd in France.
Svenja Brunckhorst, Germany, 3×3 Basketball – Svenja Brunckhorst is a professional basketball player in Germany and France who won gold for the German team.
Tierna Davidson, USA, Soccer – Tierna Davidson is currently the only out player on Team US, after winning a bronze in Tokyo she’ll now be taking home a gold.
Paola Egonu, Italy, Volleyball – With Paola Egonu’s triumphant performance, Italy won its first-ever gold Volleyball medal.
Kellie Harrington, Ireland, Boxing – Kellie Harrington is the first Irish female athlete to win gold medals at consecutive Olympic Games. She is now looking forward to a quiet life with her wife Mandy.
Ana Patricia, Brazil, Beach Volleyball – With her World Championship teammate Eduarda Santos Lisboa, Ana Patricia secured the gold in a thrilling match against Canada.
Maria Perez, Spain, Track and Field – Maria Perez won gold in the marathon walk relay, after earning a silver medal in the individual 20km event.
Sha’Carri Richardson, USA, Track & Field – Sha’Carri Richardson added a gold in the 4×100-meter relay to sit beside her silver medal in the 100-meter sprint.
Lauren Scruggs, USA, Fencing – Lauren Scruggs won a team gold medal, after a silver in individual. Scruggs makes history as the first Black American woman and the first Black, out lesbian to win an individual medal in Olympic fencing.
Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Alyssa Thomas, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, USA, Basketball – Over half of the Team USA women’s basketball team, including a couple of coaches and staff, are publicly out. The team narrowly beat France for the gold.
Anne Veenendaal and Marleen Jochems, Netherlands, Field Hockey –
Lara Vadlau, Austria, Sailing – Lara Vadlau and her dingy partner Lukae Maehr won the first Gold medal of this year’s Olympics for Austria.
Frederic Wandres, Germany, Equestrian – Frederic Wandres (and his horse Bluetooth) trotted his way to gold in the German team dressage event.
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, New Zealand, Rugby Sevens – Portia Woodman-Wickliffe won gold, her third Olympic medal for New Zealand. Woodman-Wickliffe is married to fellow Black Fern and World Cup winner Renee Wickliffe.
