The pair of figure skating "non-binary" public players is 8th

Timothy LeDuc of the United States, who participated in the Beijing Olympics and figure skating pair, entered the Olympics for the first time after announcing that his self-identification is "non-binary" regardless of the boundaries of men and women, and ranked 8th. I won a prize.

The pair of figure skating was free in the second half on the 19th.

LeDuc of the United States announced that his self-identification is "non-binary", regardless of whether he is male or female, and paired up with Ashley Cain-Gribble for her first Olympics.

LeDuc and Cain-Gribble, who were in 7th place in the short program, were breathtaking when they appeared in matching pants-style outfits, winning the highest rating of level 4 with a stable lift and combination spin. Although he showed his performance, he made a mistake in jumping and finished 8th with a total of 198.05.

Regarding the participation of non-binary athletes at the Beijing Olympics, Satoko Itani, an associate professor at Kansai University who is familiar with sexual minority and sports issues, said, "It is wonderful to see such athletes. Especially in the sports world, men and women. Since the competitions are separated by, it has been very difficult to say that they are neither. It is very significant for these athletes to appear in the sports world. "

Associate Professor Itani, who also serves as the secretary-general of the Japan Sports and Gender Society, has come out as a "gender queer" with a concept similar to "non-binary".

Associate Professor Itani said, "I think this may be the case, and the process of gradually finding something that represents me while exploring this may be common to many minorities," she said. Was revealed.

On top of that, more and more athletes have announced that they are sexual minorities at the Olympics. "Transgender and non-binary athletes have always existed in the sports world. Social to sexual minorities. It seems that we are now in a state where we can come out because the exclusion has become lighter. "

Regarding the current situation in the Japanese sports world, "It has been quite a stepping stone. In terms of gender regulations, the domestic governing body still has clear regulations on how Japan treats transgender athletes. The discussion has just begun without it. It is important not to be a man, a woman, or a transgender, but to respect him as an active player. "

In the past, the words that the coach didn't mind

Timothy LeDuc is 31 years old.

I started skating at the age of 12 after witnessing the success of American players, such as the women's single Sarah Hughes winning a gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics figure skating.

LeDuc, who appeared on the American NBC TV podcast, talks about her worries and her conflicts about being a sexual minority.

She revealed to her parents that LeDuc was gay at the age of 18, but she wasn't understood at the time and she was "akumaharai". It is called Ta.

She also said that she was sometimes exposed to unpleasant words from her then figure skating coach, saying, "If she's more masculine, she can win the game."

Her change came when Kane, who was paired six years ago, met Gribble.

Her LeDuc devoted herself to figure skating with Cain-Gribble, who accepts her as she is, and in 2017 she finished third in the US Championships.

After that, LeDuc announced that her self-identified sex was "non-binary" regardless of the boundaries of men and women.

She said she won the US Championship and attended her first Olympics this time.

You don't have to change part of yourself to be successful

After the short program on the 18th, LeDuc, who was interviewed with Cain-Gribble who made a pair, said, "In order to succeed in skating, we have taken a slightly different path in terms of gender and so on. We had some difficulties and conflicts with people, but we have endured it, and now we can have such a moment of joy on the stage of the Olympics, "he recalled with a smile.

Cain-Gribble also said, "We have built a relationship of trust with ourselves as an honest partner, because we want many people to see that we are who we are. LeDuc has never been. The best partner, the one who accepts me and believes in whatever happens. If someone with the same worries as Timothy or Timothy is in trouble, I want to speak up and protect him. " talked.

Then, when he announced that he was non-binary and asked what he wanted to convey through his appearance at the Olympics, LeDuc said, "Our wish is to remain ourselves, whether on the ice rink or elsewhere. It's about making it feel like you don't have to change a part of yourself to be successful. It's my hope to be honest with yourself and a pioneer in expressing our uniqueness and differences. " He talked and sent a yell to those with sexual minorities and worries.

What is "non-binary"?

"Non-binary" was written by singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada on her Instagram last June, saying, "I knew it in the last few years, but I knew it was non-binary." It became a hot topic when I announced it.

According to Satoko Itani, an associate professor at Kansai University who is familiar with sexual minority and sports issues, non-binary gender identity is not limited to "male" and "female", and is either male or female, or neither. It is a word that expresses oneself.

With the spread of the Internet, understanding and recognition of how to perceive one's gender has gradually progressed for about 20 years, and recently, the word "non-binary" is spreading mainly in Europe and the United States.

Tokyo Tournament Diversity of Athletes to send to the world

At the Tokyo Olympics, the number of athletes who have announced that they are sexual minorities, such as LGBTQ, has increased to the highest level, and movements are beginning to spread over diverse ways of sexuality.

At the Tokyo Olympics, the number of athletes who announced that they are sexual minorities such as LGBTQ was the highest ever.

Some of the athletes were able to convey their thoughts to the world about the various ways of sexuality.

After winning the gold medal, Tom Daley, a British national team who has announced that he is gay, said, "When I was young, I was lonely and unfamiliar with society. I thought I couldn't be a good person. I thought I couldn't do anything, but now that I'm a gold medalist, I'm incredibly proud to say, "I'm gay and an Olympic gold medalist." talked.

He then sent a yell to the young parties, saying, "No matter how lonely you feel now, you are not alone and you can accomplish anything. There are many companions who can help you."

New Zealand national team Laurel Hubbard was the first transgender athlete to participate in the Olympics because his mind and body do not match.

The IOC = International Olympic Committee has stipulated in the guidelines that male hormone levels can be entered if they meet certain conditions such as below a certain standard, and Hubbard players who meet these conditions participated in weightlifting women's over 87 kg class. ..

There was a debate about this even before the opening, with some people saying that it was "unfair."

After the competition, Hubbard said, "I just wanted to be" myself "all the time. I'm very happy to have this opportunity. I'm courageous to someone here. I would like to be given. "

And he said, "I don't think my participation should be a historic event. It's going to be a new world where people like me understand that nothing is different from others. I hope. "