Gay Aussie Snow border Heading to Sochi
Picture: Facebook
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Aussie snowboarder Belle Brockhoff is heading to Sochi to compete at the Winter Olympics, and will wear a clothing brand which is all about taking a stand against discrimination.
The 21-year-old rider is on the rise, becoming the first Australian woman to win a snowboard cross World Cup medal when she finished third in Montafon, Austria last season.
Raised in Victoria, she was skiing from age three and snowboarding at 10, and has visited New Zealand to compete and train.
Brockhoff came out last August, telling ABC "I want to be proud of who I am and be proud of all the work I've done to get into the Olympics and not have to deal with this law,” of Russia’s anti-gay ‘propaganda’ legislation.
She admitted she was scared and that she would be a fool not to be. “I have a feeling that I would have to kinda go back into the closet a little bit because I don't want to risk my, like, you know, safety, being arrested or deported.”
At New Zealand's Winter Games
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While she won’t take part in any protests in Russia, but says she will wear `Principle Six' merchandise, a clothing line supported by international equality organisations such as All Out and Athlete Ally.
Principle Six is based on a convention of the IOC charter that states that any form of discrimination on the basis of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with the Olympic movement.
"If I'm not wearing the hat I will wear the Principle Six beanie or T-shirt," Brockhoff said.
"I'll wear what I have to wear for the team because I am representing Australia but apart from that I'll definitely be wearing P6 stuff.
"It's kind of a way of protesting but not really. It's directed towards the IOC, it's not directed to the Russian government so if athletes want to wear it around the Games they will be quite safe to do so.
"It's simple, it's powerful and I think it will change a lot of things after the Games."
Brockhoff has also partnered with the USA-based Athlete Ally program, alongside openly- gay New Zealand speed skater Blake Skjellerup and tennis legend Martina Navratilova, and she is now one of its Pro Allies tasked with speaking openly about homophobia.
By GayNZ.com Daily News staff -
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