Dame Kelly Holmes

I've seen lots of posts on the Daily Mail site "stunning and brave" repetitively. Are they trying to be facetious?

It's probably a generic comment on all the rhetoric about TWAW if black women are women. Outrageously racist.

She's biracial. What thread on here has she been abused on? I hope the moderators have closed it down.

I care. It's important that lesbians come out, as we are being erased by current trans ideology. LGB all the way!

It's really important that lesbians come out! We are being erased by current trans ideology. Go DKH!

All power to her. I hope this was voluntary and that she hasn't been forced to comment on her personal life by intrusive press.

Dame Kelly has always been amazing, and that hasn't changed.

I was surprised when I read her announcement because I thought she'd already said that she in a relationship with a woman.

I thought she was amazing to win those 2 gold medals but other than that I knew very little about her, other than she was gay. I mean, is she sure she hadn't already announced it? I'm amazed really how boring these announcements are. Who really cares these days?

It's great. I agree with you OP. It's no surprise but I'm really happy she's chosen to publicly be herself. Considering how amazing she is, she always appears to lack self-confidence. She's being horrendously bullied on social media.

Lesbian role models in the public eye are few and far between. More power to her elbow.

I just honestly don’t think anyones sexuality is a matter for discussion. It’s her private business. It doesn’t have anything to do with her fans.

She wasn't officially out-out, but for years and indeed decades even the Daily Fail have been running "Kelly Holmes goes shopping with her friend/PA" stories, and, well, all the rest, so anyone with eyes and a gossipy interest knew. Or would, anyway, have been extremely surprised if she'd started going about with a boyfriend! Yeah. "We" all knew.

It's a tricky situation - imagine all the horrible or unsettling people you've run into over your life. The bug-eyed psychos with the deranged ideas about what women can or can't do... And what they would do to them if they did.

How much do you want them to NOT know about your private life? Now multiply that by millions because you're in the public eye....

I was more surprised to learn that she is 52! I had somehow got it into my head that she competed in London 2012 and was thinking to myself how impressive a feat that was at 42. Lost 8 years in there somewhere.

To PPs who wonder about her ‘announcement’: she hasn’t made a ‘self important’ ‘announcement’: she did an interview on her feelings of terror that her Olympic success would lead to people making public that she had had relationships with women while in the army. And that she was afraid for years, even after the army removed their ban, that she would be retrospectively punished. So a serious discussion about the long term effects of discrimination against homosexuality/ lesbians.

See our friend Willoughby on Twitter saying "I'll pass on welcoming Dame Kelly Holmes to the LGBT family".

Oh but India, IT'S PRIDE MONTH!

I've never seen such abuse in response to someone coming out. A lot of sunlight today.

She's a pretty cool role model.

Did you say the same about Rebel Wilson? Or the recent young footballer who came out? Sadly homophobia/lesbophobia are still very prevalent. That's why so many people - especially in the public eye - are reticent about coming out - because people (fans) will make assumptions about them and sponsors/funding can dry up if that public image is challenged. It's absolutely disgusting. It's not as bad as it was in the golden age of Hollywood but it's not massively improved, hence the big hoohaa - because there is STILL so much stigma attached to being sane sex attracted.

I never knew Dame Kelly was in the closet so that's been a surprise to me today

We’ve only just had the first openly gay footballer come out so yes, I think it is still important for people to ‘come out’ if they feel able to.

(From the Stonewall reaction It’s pretty obvious that the L in LGBTIQ is only there for funding and lobbying purposes- they don’t seem to give a shit about them in real terms)

Oh I'm loving the trans activist twitter meltdown.

They are so ridiculous.

Best wishes to Kelly for her future! ❤

Exactly.

I'm really happy to see this news (it is rather Jodie Foster like in terms of "does it still count as coming out when surely everyone knows this already?!") and I wish her all the best. I was a teenager when she got her double gold and had a huge crush on her

Happy for her, and good on her for making a stand. But like some PPs I already thought she was openly gay, for some reason.

I echo others' well wishes for Kelly. Bloody legend!

Absoutely love Kelly Holmes - she's a class act.

I remember cheering her on as she won her gold medals at 2004 Olympics in Athens. What an achievement after so many setbacks due to injuries.

As for her announcement? Always thought she was, but fantastic that this is a talking point - she is an amazing role model for young lesbians.

Worth saying that she stayed "in" a long time because she was in the army when it was illegal. It's been part of the media coverage.