A Record Number Of Out LGBTQ Athletes Will Compete In The Tokyo Paralympics

By Joe Hernandez

Published August 23, 2021 at 9:00 AM CDT

A general view of action during a New Zealand Wheelchair rugby practice session ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at Yoyogi Sports Arena on August 22, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

When the Tokyo Paralympic Games get underway on Tuesday, it will have a record number of out LGBTQ athletes.

At least 28 publicly out Paralympians will compete in the summer games in Tokyo, more than double the number that took part in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, according to Outsports.

The athletes on the list come from at least eight countries and are mostly women. The only man on the list oss Lee Pearson, an equestrian from Great Britain.

There are also at least three nonbinary or neutral athletes participating in the games, according to the site.

The Paralympic Games are set to begin just weeks after the Tokyo Summer Olympics wrapped up.

That competition broke another record with at least 185 LGBTQ athletes in contention, Outsports said.

This story first appeared in the Morning Edition liveblog.