1 00:00:13,260 --> 00:00:23,070 Good evening, everyone. Thank you so much for joining us. This is the trial's annual an annual LGBT History Month lecture organised by 2 00:00:23,070 --> 00:00:29,100 the university's LGBT Plus Advisory Group and the Equality of Diversity Unit. 3 00:00:29,100 --> 00:00:33,630 And it's the sixth lecture that I have had the great privilege to introduce. 4 00:00:33,630 --> 00:00:38,400 So I'm delighted to be here for the sixth year in a row. And before I begin, 5 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:44,970 I do just want to express a word of deep appreciation to Clara and to the other members of the 6 00:00:44,970 --> 00:00:53,190 Rosary Group and indeed the LGBT plus staff network for all the work they do throughout the year. 7 00:00:53,190 --> 00:01:00,450 They have slowed down because of the pandemic. They have managed to keep our spirits up and keep us meeting. 8 00:01:00,450 --> 00:01:06,000 They've organised micro talks for the virtual Oxford Pride last year. 9 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:11,030 And also, I think, conscious of the increased isolation caused by Christmas, 10 00:01:11,030 --> 00:01:20,180 they organised a rota for those alone in the LGBT plus community so that they could chat to one another week at chapel, 11 00:01:20,180 --> 00:01:27,000 another over the holiday period. And really, this has been a very difficult year for so many of us. 12 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:35,730 And it takes a real commitment to generosity, of spirit, of our LGBT leadership to make it easier for all of us. 13 00:01:35,730 --> 00:01:47,610 So a warm thanks to them. Last term, the university launched a fabulous flagship new lecture series, the Michael Jordan LGBT Plus Lectures. 14 00:01:47,610 --> 00:01:53,730 Michael Dunham was a fascinating person and I hadn't known anything about him until the launch of this series. 15 00:01:53,730 --> 00:01:58,890 He's not an Oxford alumnus, a trans right campaigner. 16 00:01:58,890 --> 00:02:07,650 And in keeping with tonight's theme, a growing blue. The lectures will be held twice a year and like our two speakers, will be given by as PBT, 17 00:02:07,650 --> 00:02:16,280 plus individuals from professions other than academia who have reached a position of outstanding achievement in their particular field. 18 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:21,270 And not tonight. We're particularly privileged to have not one, but two speakers. 19 00:02:21,270 --> 00:02:25,440 The first is Michael Gunning. Michael is an internationally competitive swimmer. 20 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:35,070 Having attended to feed the World Swimming Championships, he holds both Jamaican and British citizenship and is the current Jamaican national 21 00:02:35,070 --> 00:02:42,180 record holder for the 200 metre butterfly and the 200 and 400 metre freestyle events. 22 00:02:42,180 --> 00:02:50,130 Michael won the Pride Award at the Attitude Pride Awards twenty nineteen for his efforts and visualising LGBT sport around the globe, 23 00:02:50,130 --> 00:02:57,090 and recently was named as a Pride House ambassador for the Birmingham 20 22 Commonwealth Games. 24 00:02:57,090 --> 00:03:02,070 He's currently training to represent Team Jamaica in Tokyo at the summer. 25 00:03:02,070 --> 00:03:07,610 So very best of luck. Michael. Our other speaker is Kevin Humphries. 26 00:03:07,610 --> 00:03:10,020 Green is an international sprinter, 27 00:03:10,020 --> 00:03:18,230 a coach and founder of Pathway to fit an initiative to make it easier to build fitness and well-being into a balanced lifestyle. 28 00:03:18,230 --> 00:03:26,960 How we evolved needed that this past year. Green won a silver medal in the 100 metres relay at the under 21 European Championships. 29 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:35,140 Under the hundred metres is a British university gold medallist, World University Games finalist and Commonwealth Games semi-finalist. 30 00:03:35,140 --> 00:03:40,870 Corinne came out as a lesbian at 25 and found it had a positive impact on her career. 31 00:03:40,870 --> 00:03:49,300 She recently said, and I quote, Being my authentic self made it easier to identify and build strong relationships with the people around me. 32 00:03:49,300 --> 00:03:53,590 From coaches and support staff to training partners and competitors. 33 00:03:53,590 --> 00:04:02,390 It was only then that I realised what the power of inclusively and allies ship can do for everyone in sport. 34 00:04:02,390 --> 00:04:08,300 Sport, as we know, can play such an important part in nourishing our well-being, which is why is it so important, 35 00:04:08,300 --> 00:04:13,670 as Karim points out, that it be intrusive and that everyone feels they can take part? 36 00:04:13,670 --> 00:04:18,530 We've been working on this at Oxford and we have made a number of initiatives recently. 37 00:04:18,530 --> 00:04:24,410 We have inclusion officers added to the Oxford Sports Federation Executive Committee. 38 00:04:24,410 --> 00:04:33,860 The officers will look to improve the diversity of sports programmes with a particular emphasis on Baim, LGBTQ and students with a disability. 39 00:04:33,860 --> 00:04:37,550 And sports societies at Oxford, including the Swimming Club and Athletics Club, 40 00:04:37,550 --> 00:04:46,610 have taken the LGBTQ in sports pledge to support LGBTQ plus people in sport while participating in sport. 41 00:04:46,610 --> 00:04:48,770 As we know, it's been difficult over the past year. 42 00:04:48,770 --> 00:04:55,910 Our sports department continue to keep US motivators with active anywhere running livestream fitness classes for staff, 43 00:04:55,910 --> 00:05:00,330 students and the local community to keep us active from home. 44 00:05:00,330 --> 00:05:04,280 And I hope some of you are better than I am at attending those. 45 00:05:04,280 --> 00:05:08,720 So with that, let me again welcome you all. Thank you for joining us. 46 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:14,060 And turn it over to Karen. Over to Karen. Thank you very much, Louise. 47 00:05:14,060 --> 00:05:20,180 Thank you very much for everyone. US coming tonight and celebrating LGBT History Month. 48 00:05:20,180 --> 00:05:27,060 It really means a lot to see the continued support that just society is giving to the LGBT community in this day and age. 49 00:05:27,060 --> 00:05:30,890 And thank you to Oxford University for having me to speak. 50 00:05:30,890 --> 00:05:35,120 It really is a huge honour to be able to talk to you all today. 51 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:42,830 I wanted to just kind of share some of my experiences around how I've navigated my way through the track and field world. 52 00:05:42,830 --> 00:05:49,960 As a gay woman and some of the challenges and triumphs that I've had along the way, 53 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:55,790 I started athletics quite late, considering when a lot of teenagers enter into sport. 54 00:05:55,790 --> 00:06:00,230 I was 16. Normally in the track and field was you're about twelve thirteen. 55 00:06:00,230 --> 00:06:08,000 So I entered the sport at a time in my life when I was really battling with embracing my sexuality. 56 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,670 I wasn't out to anyone at this time. None of my friends were openly out. 57 00:06:11,670 --> 00:06:15,080 I wasn't immersed in any kind of LGBT setting. 58 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:21,950 So it was really challenging for me to go into a completely new social setting as a teenager where, 59 00:06:21,950 --> 00:06:26,780 again, there was no established LGBT kind of community. 60 00:06:26,780 --> 00:06:34,130 And as we all know, when you're 16 and 17, the rage about town is who fancies who and who's going out with who. 61 00:06:34,130 --> 00:06:40,340 And in those settings, that just wasn't a conversation I could honestly participate in. 62 00:06:40,340 --> 00:06:46,820 So I always found myself shying away from from the social element of sport and again, at that age. 63 00:06:46,820 --> 00:06:51,560 A lot of sport is about the social element of it and less kind of about competing at times. 64 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:56,510 So between the ages of 17 and 20, 65 00:06:56,510 --> 00:07:05,090 I saw that I really excluded myself completely from competition and where I would train and keep fit with athletic style training, if you will. 66 00:07:05,090 --> 00:07:08,810 I was never one to really put myself forward to compete. 67 00:07:08,810 --> 00:07:16,170 And it just brought a lot of anxiety that I didn't think having a talent at a sport would bring. 68 00:07:16,170 --> 00:07:21,830 You know, you go into sports wanting to be embraced and celebrated for your talent. 69 00:07:21,830 --> 00:07:26,390 But I found myself excluding myself because I just didn't find my place within that setting. 70 00:07:26,390 --> 00:07:29,810 So I completely distance myself in that way. 71 00:07:29,810 --> 00:07:33,800 And I actually found a liking in music. 72 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:35,240 Around this time. 73 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:42,620 So I still wasn't out to my family, but I used to play the guitar and that was sort of my way of just kind of bringing peace to myself. 74 00:07:42,620 --> 00:07:50,630 And I really enjoyed it. And just along this journey, I found the power to come out to the closest people to me, my friends and family. 75 00:07:50,630 --> 00:07:55,040 And and it was actually my brother that introduced me to an artist at this time. 76 00:07:55,040 --> 00:08:02,360 And I started to play with an all female band. And in this band, I think half of us or the majority of us were actually gay. 77 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:07,430 And it was only at this time of 1920 that I really sort of found myself. 78 00:08:07,430 --> 00:08:13,570 And it was almost like a sense of becoming that I had just found a community that I felt like I belonged in. 79 00:08:13,570 --> 00:08:18,140 And because we were performing around London and we even got the opportunity to open up quite 80 00:08:18,140 --> 00:08:25,940 well-known artists at the Jazz Café being celebrated for my talent being sort of like an LGBT setting. 81 00:08:25,940 --> 00:08:32,790 That is what I longed for, for for for for my entire life, to be honest, because I was never outspoken. 82 00:08:32,790 --> 00:08:37,280 So I was really happy to feel so embraced for having a talent and for being gay. 83 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:44,660 So because I had made some really good friends then, I was being supported by my close friends and family. 84 00:08:44,660 --> 00:08:52,280 I felt a lot more power to go back into the world of sport. So what about the age of 21, I started to compete again on the circuit. 85 00:08:52,280 --> 00:09:00,840 This was under twenty threes. And this is actually when I made it onto the team and competed in the four by 100 metre relay and got the silver medal. 86 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:06,810 And even just in my experience, me having the added layer of support in my personal life, even I wasn't out in support. 87 00:09:06,810 --> 00:09:11,250 This made the world of difference in how I presented myself on the track. 88 00:09:11,250 --> 00:09:16,230 And at this time, because I did get a silver medal in the national or international level, 89 00:09:16,230 --> 00:09:23,940 I thought to myself that if I want to make in the senior ranks, I really do need to take sport more seriously and kind of put music on the backburner. 90 00:09:23,940 --> 00:09:29,340 So I stopped playing in the band and I committed myself fully to track and field. 91 00:09:29,340 --> 00:09:33,600 But I didn't have that sense of security anymore that I had with my band. 92 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:42,090 And I remember feeling like, oh, no. I can feel that that sense of anxiety creeping back up again, like what I faced in my earlier career. 93 00:09:42,090 --> 00:09:47,070 And because I had so much personal growth in that time, I had away from the sport. 94 00:09:47,070 --> 00:09:53,340 I kind of realised that I love who I am. And, you know, this is me and this is who I want to present to the world. 95 00:09:53,340 --> 00:10:01,980 So I came out around the age of 23, 24 to my closest friends within the sport. 96 00:10:01,980 --> 00:10:08,940 And it was then when that feeling of freedom and being able to be myself in the music world, I was able to bring that to the track. 97 00:10:08,940 --> 00:10:16,500 And because I had, you know, these these close friendships that I was starting to build and because I had felt I 98 00:10:16,500 --> 00:10:20,640 knew I experienced what it felt like to kind of be my true self outside of life, 99 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:27,400 I was able to bring that into sport and make more friends, make strong connexions with people and. 100 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,820 Again, my performance to stock, it's a climbing climb, 101 00:10:30,820 --> 00:10:38,530 and I made my way onto the senior national teams and competed against the Olympic champion even in Australia. 102 00:10:38,530 --> 00:10:45,430 And just looking back, I know that if I hadn't found myself and found my place within the sport, 103 00:10:45,430 --> 00:10:49,390 I wouldn't have been able to embrace those experiences that I've had in sport so far. 104 00:10:49,390 --> 00:10:55,780 And, you know, all of us know. And as Louise said at the beginning, just what the power of sport can do for you. 105 00:10:55,780 --> 00:11:03,550 And, you know, I would never have been able to really embrace all of that if I wasn't able to be 100 percent myself. 106 00:11:03,550 --> 00:11:07,740 And I just want to go back, actually, because this is something that's very important and I hope people that listening, 107 00:11:07,740 --> 00:11:13,330 they they if they haven't come out yet, this is just a word of advice is when you are coming out in support. 108 00:11:13,330 --> 00:11:20,870 I didn't make a big deal as such. And the way that I did it is I kind of just started to ease in the pronouns of my partner at the time and, you know, 109 00:11:20,870 --> 00:11:27,370 befriends the machine her because it didn't need to be a big revelation at that point, because I had really accepted who I was. 110 00:11:27,370 --> 00:11:33,010 And I just needed to be out and open for me to create the environment that I needed to thrive in. 111 00:11:33,010 --> 00:11:40,300 So that's just a little titbit I just wanted to add. But yeah, so my performance really did start to climb. 112 00:11:40,300 --> 00:11:48,280 And I and I was the person I am the person now that I want to be in sports. And last year I think it was right at the start of coded. 113 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:52,030 We have this thing called the athletics pregnant work that exists now. 114 00:11:52,030 --> 00:11:54,310 And I was thinking about this today. 115 00:11:54,310 --> 00:12:03,070 And if I would have had the something like athletics pregnant what in sport, I would have never shown away from being in this environment. 116 00:12:03,070 --> 00:12:09,310 And I really do feel like I probably would have been further along in my career or I just would have had more experiences within the career. 117 00:12:09,310 --> 00:12:14,770 And I probably wouldn't have felt the need to take myself away to find myself, if you will. 118 00:12:14,770 --> 00:12:21,760 So the Athletics Pride Network is an a network for people that are part of the LGBT community and allies. 119 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:29,590 And it's a place where we can come together, come together to celebrate each other and support one another just in a very open and honest setting. 120 00:12:29,590 --> 00:12:35,680 And I think what's important about this is that it is a community for LGBT community and allies. 121 00:12:35,680 --> 00:12:40,300 And I think there's a lot of power in the support that allies bring. 122 00:12:40,300 --> 00:12:46,090 And again, that's another message that I really want to get across in this talk about how I've been able to navigate myself. 123 00:12:46,090 --> 00:12:52,210 It was only looking to the support of my network that allowed me to really be the person that I was. 124 00:12:52,210 --> 00:12:56,530 And there's a lot of networks popping up in different sports now that I'm so happy to see, 125 00:12:56,530 --> 00:13:01,240 because I know that at a time it was really something that I needed and we didn't have it. 126 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:06,250 So I don't know. Now we're just in a place where sport is so much further along. 127 00:13:06,250 --> 00:13:11,140 And I think that everyone is going to be able to embrace the power of sport and just 128 00:13:11,140 --> 00:13:15,730 like what STEM or advocate for and me and my filipov sports champions of this. 129 00:13:15,730 --> 00:13:23,270 It's about making sport everyone's game. And I can wholeheartedly say that I feel that we are in a position now just in life to be able to do that. 130 00:13:23,270 --> 00:13:28,760 So. Yeah, just another message to emphasise the point allies tonight, 131 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:34,340 I know we're celebrating the LGBT History Month, but I think it's very important to bring allies into this. 132 00:13:34,340 --> 00:13:38,210 And I just want you to know that your support matters. 133 00:13:38,210 --> 00:13:43,600 And don't underestimate it. You know, we really need you to be as vocal as the people in the community. 134 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:47,540 And I'm just so grateful to have the continued support of everyone. 135 00:13:47,540 --> 00:13:55,880 So. That's my talk. I hope. There have been some things that have resonated with some people and it's been a pleasure sharing my experience so far. 136 00:13:55,880 --> 00:14:00,200 Thank you very much. Thank you so much, everyone, for listening tonight and for coming on. 137 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:04,880 It's a pleasure to be invited on. And also a pleasure to be right on with Corinne. 138 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:10,460 No. We went to the same university. We obviously saw each other a couple of times in four. 139 00:14:10,460 --> 00:14:14,660 And I remember one memory that you have with Crane was we was in Taipei at the 140 00:14:14,660 --> 00:14:20,150 World University Championships and we was on a boat we want to talk about. 141 00:14:20,150 --> 00:14:25,130 And, you know, on a tour bus, even though he was travelling around and it was so nice because sport brings so 142 00:14:25,130 --> 00:14:29,240 many different communities together and it's so wonderful that we were just sat, 143 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:38,060 you know, sat next to each other on this on this bus that, you know, which I think talks about, you know, unite, uniting and people coming together. 144 00:14:38,060 --> 00:14:46,130 And that's what LGBT History Month is all about. And I've learnt so much, you know, through last month and all the different things that was going on. 145 00:14:46,130 --> 00:14:51,950 And I think one thing that really touched me was the different podcasts. 146 00:14:51,950 --> 00:14:58,430 I listen to people sharing their story. So it's a pleasure for me to be able to share my story today and hopefully know my story. 147 00:14:58,430 --> 00:15:04,500 People can relate, but also people can kind of be shocked and just understand something from a slightly different perspective. 148 00:15:04,500 --> 00:15:10,310 Now, with my kind of growing up, I used to represent bright person I miss so much. 149 00:15:10,310 --> 00:15:14,390 I used to swim many in the morning and night before, before school, after school. 150 00:15:14,390 --> 00:15:21,650 And I absolutely loved the sport. But I think one thing that was different about me was my race. 151 00:15:21,650 --> 00:15:25,280 No, I didn't say there wasn't really many black people, black swimmers in the water. 152 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:29,270 And I think I really loved that. I loved that I was doing something different. 153 00:15:29,270 --> 00:15:35,990 I was breaking the stereotypes. And one thing that I definitely didn't talk about that I never really saw was, you know, 154 00:15:35,990 --> 00:15:43,100 the sexuality, my LGBT part of me that I was suppressing deep down inside for many, many years. 155 00:15:43,100 --> 00:15:51,440 And I went to competitions. I was racing against all these bigger boys, the me and I feared that by talking about my sexuality, 156 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:57,860 by actually telling one person, by even telling my family that I would be kind of downgrading myself. 157 00:15:57,860 --> 00:16:00,140 And, you know, no athlete should ever have to feel like that. 158 00:16:00,140 --> 00:16:05,750 And it's only until looking back now at what I went through and what I suppressed for so many years now, 159 00:16:05,750 --> 00:16:11,250 it makes me realise and make me question where I would be today if I didn't have to suppress myself. 160 00:16:11,250 --> 00:16:16,070 Now, you know, I did love representing Great Britain and I really did. 161 00:16:16,070 --> 00:16:23,440 I travelled the world. But I think one turning point for me was Jamaica have so many different rules, 162 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:28,760 so many different, you know, criminalisation for homosexuality and many other things. 163 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:33,560 But one thing, it was in LGBT and sharing the same sex, you know, 164 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:38,960 walking along on the road and holding hands and kind of just stating that you're in a relationship. 165 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:45,330 It would kind of put you straight in prison. And I always knew that I could represent both Jamaica and great person. 166 00:16:45,330 --> 00:16:53,060 I don't really have a good career representing great person, but for me, I wanted it stop changing the world one piece at a time. 167 00:16:53,060 --> 00:16:57,500 And I went to our championships and I saw how just buy me surrender in a black 168 00:16:57,500 --> 00:17:01,780 person and me speaking out about the challenges that face the stereotypes. 169 00:17:01,780 --> 00:17:10,010 It was pushed against me, just really kind of made me step back and think that if I done this for Jamaica, I'd be representing Great Britain as well. 170 00:17:10,010 --> 00:17:16,430 At heart. I know that everyone supports me here in the UK, but, you know, I'd be trying to change something for our future. 171 00:17:16,430 --> 00:17:25,880 And so that's kind of the history of why I changed to swim for Jamaica. But one of the biggest things is the representation of being LGBT. 172 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:31,520 And, you know, especially lacquering said the allies are so, so important and instrumental some. 173 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:36,410 There was no one when I was younger. I could look up to that. I saw myself in No. 174 00:17:36,410 --> 00:17:43,580 Firstly with my race, but also in sexuality, there was nobody who was talking out about their own experiences. 175 00:17:43,580 --> 00:17:46,880 Now I'm really good friends with Mark Foster, who he's came out, was gay. 176 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:50,450 Now that he knew when he was in sport, he, you know, 177 00:17:50,450 --> 00:17:56,180 the same as most athletes just didn't talk about it and didn't want the media to see him in that way. 178 00:17:56,180 --> 00:18:01,910 And I think one of the main reasons why I speak out so publicly now is to hopefully 179 00:18:01,910 --> 00:18:06,680 inspire the younger generation to show people that it's okay to be different. 180 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:11,540 It's okay to be a different body shape than everyone else. It's okay to lack the same gender. 181 00:18:11,540 --> 00:18:14,110 Like I do. And it's okay. 182 00:18:14,110 --> 00:18:22,190 And when I was trained at the London Aquatic Centre and I think a few years ago now, four or five years ago, I was swimming with Tom Daley. 183 00:18:22,190 --> 00:18:25,940 He was diving on the diving boards and I was swimming up and down the pool. 184 00:18:25,940 --> 00:18:31,790 And he was the first person that I could really speak to and just open up to about how I was feeling. 185 00:18:31,790 --> 00:18:37,910 He came out, obviously on YouTube and out in the public eye, and he was the only one in the aquatics. 186 00:18:37,910 --> 00:18:43,250 He was the only person that everyone was talking about. And I was really scared to come out. 187 00:18:43,250 --> 00:18:48,060 I think, you know, I've never tried to pretend to be someone I'm not. I've always been very loud and. 188 00:18:48,060 --> 00:18:57,720 Whenever I'm competing, I'm always smiling and waving. But I think for me it was such a big deal because for me to tell somebody that I am gay. 189 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:01,530 It just labels you. And I never wanted that on the world stage. 190 00:19:01,530 --> 00:19:06,990 I did. I just wanted people to value me for who I was and to not call me that gay black swimmer. 191 00:19:06,990 --> 00:19:12,840 Like so many people to just to call me a swimmer. And I decided to come out. 192 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:20,780 I came out just before the Commonwealth Games in 2018. And I came up to our friends and family, my very close friends and family. 193 00:19:20,780 --> 00:19:25,560 But that year was all about the Commonwealth Games. I wanted to compete in the Commonwealth Games. 194 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:29,790 And unfortunately, I just fell short. And I was hot. 195 00:19:29,790 --> 00:19:33,210 You know, for every athlete that knows, you know, qualifying for teams and, you know, 196 00:19:33,210 --> 00:19:38,280 being at the very top of your score is just, you know, just Luchi that everyone dreams of. 197 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:45,030 Everyone wants to achieve and to fail that year and to miss that, you know, that competition was absolute heartbreak for me. 198 00:19:45,030 --> 00:19:49,680 And it really brought me back to what I was suppressing deep down kind of my 199 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:55,380 thoughts and feelings of everyday life and kind of just took away from the pool. 200 00:19:55,380 --> 00:19:59,130 And I decided I actually came out on a TV show. 201 00:19:59,130 --> 00:20:03,900 And the main reason for that is because so many people around poolside, young, you know, 202 00:20:03,900 --> 00:20:10,080 young children from coaches to my team-mates just asked me different questions about, 203 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:15,510 you know, how I can be myself in sport, how they can tell their parents how to come out. 204 00:20:15,510 --> 00:20:22,120 And, you know, at the time, I had spoken to a close group of people, but I never, never really wanted to put it everywhere, 205 00:20:22,120 --> 00:20:30,150 all across the world, and especially with nowhere in the Jamaica K, I knew that if I said one thing, it would be carried across in press. 206 00:20:30,150 --> 00:20:36,390 And, you know, I didn't want to be excluded from future teams, but if not me, who? 207 00:20:36,390 --> 00:20:41,520 And that is why I kept thinking throughout that whole year and because I knew that I wasn't completion of the Commonwealth Games, 208 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:45,450 I thought this is my chance to really explore who I who I was. 209 00:20:45,450 --> 00:20:50,280 And me being very suppressed. I have never been on a date before. 210 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:55,710 I never got myself out there. And it was wonderful to actually just explore that side of me. 211 00:20:55,710 --> 00:21:02,670 You know, I knew the athlete side. I knew that I some men for what it was, but I never knew about what was deep inside. 212 00:21:02,670 --> 00:21:08,940 And it was so nice to have that summer where I was exploring my sexuality, where I was having those open conversations with people. 213 00:21:08,940 --> 00:21:12,690 And I think that's why LGBT History Month is so important, 214 00:21:12,690 --> 00:21:18,390 because they need to let other people's stories and you educate yourself on different stories. 215 00:21:18,390 --> 00:21:22,380 One thing that touched me this last month was it's the same. 216 00:21:22,380 --> 00:21:24,150 I'm not sure if anyone saw it on Channel four, 217 00:21:24,150 --> 00:21:31,380 but I think that's one of the big things I took away because I never knew much about HIV and what people thought of that, 218 00:21:31,380 --> 00:21:38,670 you know, infection in that virus back in the 1980s and really opened my eyes to a whole different perspective. 219 00:21:38,670 --> 00:21:42,870 And I think, you know, that's what US athletes as LGBT athletes are doing now. 220 00:21:42,870 --> 00:21:47,040 We're just trying to educate people that who are in sport, who are allies in school. 221 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:51,450 And I know there's lots of different networks. There's lots different support places. 222 00:21:51,450 --> 00:21:57,640 You know, the amount of messages I get and I'm sheltering gets to just with people confiding in us speak, 223 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:05,250 speaking openly and honestly about their experiences and know next year is the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, 224 00:22:05,250 --> 00:22:08,640 to which I am going to be a pride house ambassador for. 225 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:16,560 And I think it's so important to know that the places that you go to are going to be a are going to welcome a safe place for LGBT people. 226 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:19,770 And for me, I've got so many great friends, you know, Adam Peaty, 227 00:22:19,770 --> 00:22:25,710 lots of people in the swimming world and a lot of people who are straight and just by them supporting us, 228 00:22:25,710 --> 00:22:30,570 just by them showing people that they are they are happy to have that conversation 229 00:22:30,570 --> 00:22:34,940 just means so much because you know that you can just be open and honest with them. 230 00:22:34,940 --> 00:22:39,510 And knew he was talking. And I was talking with the staff before about just Oxford. 231 00:22:39,510 --> 00:22:43,950 And there's usually lots of pride, flags, Nigerian pride, and that is amazing. 232 00:22:43,950 --> 00:22:51,000 That is showing people that you are safe and you have a safe place to be open, to be yourself known that you support that. 233 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:54,630 And I think that's why it's so important that even if you're watching this and thinking, 234 00:22:54,630 --> 00:22:58,950 well, I'm not LGBT, but, you know, I maybe can help where I can, 235 00:22:58,950 --> 00:23:05,100 you 100 percent can help because just by telling that one person that you learn something new or that 236 00:23:05,100 --> 00:23:10,680 you have spoken and you've listened to know this this lecture and you had a different viewpoint, 237 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:16,750 just allows people to be able to confide in you that little bit more. And I am very proud. 238 00:23:16,750 --> 00:23:22,800 I'm openly gay and I'm representing Jamaica and I'm hoping to change the world one step at a time. 239 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:29,730 I'm training really hard for Tokyo this summer. And, you know, it's always a pleasure to put on my my my kid, you know, 240 00:23:29,730 --> 00:23:35,610 go into my swim staff and go into the pool, because not only am I representing the LGBT community, 241 00:23:35,610 --> 00:23:43,500 but I worked in Jamaica representing Great Britain, and I'm just representing, you know, that black summer that all the people can look up to as well. 242 00:23:43,500 --> 00:23:50,270 And. Kind of looking back, I wish I didn't have to suppress who I was. 243 00:23:50,270 --> 00:23:56,180 I'm glad I did. I'm glad that I came out when I was ready. I think that's one of my biggest piece of advice to anyone. 244 00:23:56,180 --> 00:24:01,100 Whether you're 40 years old or when your 14 years old, it doesn't matter when. 245 00:24:01,100 --> 00:24:05,010 As long as you start to accept who you are deep down inside, you know, 246 00:24:05,010 --> 00:24:10,970 and you can find in these people that you trust most that your friends and 247 00:24:10,970 --> 00:24:15,470 hopefully the way forward and that you know the things that are coming for us, 248 00:24:15,470 --> 00:24:19,490 we'll be able to speak more openly and honestly about all these amazing things. 249 00:24:19,490 --> 00:24:25,850 So thank you for having me on again today. And we look forward to watching your days and with that. 250 00:24:25,850 --> 00:24:29,760 Thank you so much, everyone. Thank you. Everyone in the audience for joining us. 251 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:36,710 And it's really important and powerful to hear how both Michael and Kiran, you know, felt that they had to hide who they were. 252 00:24:36,710 --> 00:24:44,930 Maybe it wasn't the place where they could be. It shows the importance of groups and how powerful it is if we can come together and find those 253 00:24:44,930 --> 00:24:50,900 other groups that can support us and buyers up and and your strength and your visibility, 254 00:24:50,900 --> 00:24:57,290 Michael and Kiran, is going to be a huge inspiration for future athletes. 255 00:24:57,290 --> 00:25:04,130 And you cannot underestimate that. And indeed, we're in a world where LGBT rights may be looked like. 256 00:25:04,130 --> 00:25:07,790 In some countries they do. They are going backwards a little bit. 257 00:25:07,790 --> 00:25:17,060 There was a reminder of that in the chat. But having this global stage with both of you on there and being visible and being yourselves 258 00:25:17,060 --> 00:25:24,220 is just it's going to have such a reach up side of athlete athletics outside of the UK. 259 00:25:24,220 --> 00:25:31,160 It's it really is a powerful message you are spending. So thank you so much for that with that. 260 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:38,240 Thank you, Michael. Thank you, Colonel, for speaking. Thank you to Professor Richardson for opening. 261 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:41,920 Thank you, Professor Trevathan, for sharing. Very aptly. 262 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:48,620 Given how many questions there were. Our Q and A thank you to everyone in the audience for listening. 263 00:25:48,620 --> 00:25:57,200 And also a special thanks to both and Caroline Kennedy and Helen Warren for Helen. 264 00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:04,790 Well, for all their effort put in this together and all the emails that they were sending over December, 265 00:26:04,790 --> 00:26:09,200 Christmas and coordinated and do it, all the legwork. So with that. 266 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:19,280 Thank you, everyone. Have a lovely evening. And and hopefully we will actually meet again at the in 2022 LGBT History Month. 267 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:29,737 Take care of what I know. Good luck. Michael and Corinne.