10 Team LGBTQ athletes to follow at the 2026 Commonwealth Games
The 23rd Commonwealth Games, held in Glasgow, Scotland, features fewer sports and, consequently, fewer out LGBTQ athletes.
Mark
Scaled down, slimmed down, streamlined… however you say it, the Commonwealth Games should still be seen as a major international multi-sport event, but it’s not what it was.
Glasgow 2026 begins this week with a compact schedule designed to maximize existing infrastructure in Scotland’s biggest city, which is also the U.K.’s third largest.
The program for this 23rd edition of the Games features just 10 sports. That’s half of the 20 showcased four years earlier at Birmingham 2022.
Related
These courageous Team LGBTQ athletes all won gold at the Commonwealth Games
The 2026 Commonwealth Games begins in Glasgow on Thursday, and in recent years, a number of out LGBTQ athletes have excelled.
While this means a more focused experience for spectators, it also means a noticeably smaller presence for Team LGBTQ.
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By the conclusion of Birmingham 2022, we knew of at least 46 publicly out LGBTQ athletes who had competed, a huge increase on the 13 from Gold Coast 2018.
However, several sports that have now been cut — most notably team competitions like cricket, hockey, and rugby sevens — supplied at least 20 out LGBTQ competitors in the women’s events alone during the previous Games.
Furthermore, prominent out individual stars from athletics and swimming, such as Tom Bosworth, Dutee Chand, Dan Jervis, and Glen Quayle, have either retired or are not competing in Glasgow for other reasons.
Despite these shifts, Glasgow 2026 will be well worth a look, with more than 3,000 athletes set to represent their home nations and territories. For out athletes, it’s also an opportunity to raise the visibility of Team LGBTQ while competing at the highest level.
@commonwealthsport “Sport is for everyone” The #Glasgow2026 ♬ original sound – Glasgow 2026
Outsports continues to encourage representation, and any competitor who is LGBTQ is invited to contact us to be added to our roster. Tips from readers are greatly appreciated as well (you can DM us on socials, too); as always, our criteria for inclusion is that the athlete has publicly acknowledged that they are LGBTQ, such as in a media interview, or has otherwise made it clear, such as via social media.
Within the context of the Commonwealth of Nations, LGBTQ visibility really does matter. Glasgow 2026 features 74 teams drawn from the 56 member nations of the Commonwealth (several dependent territories compete under their own flags).
Yet homophobia remains enshrined in law across much of the alliance: 29 of the 56 criminalize gay relationships. In 13 of those countries, conviction results in imprisonment, while in regions of Northern Nigeria and Uganda, certain legal conditions allow for capital punishment.
Glasgow 2026 has a unicorn, a Pride House and an out gay CEO
On a far lighter note, organizers for Glasgow 2026 have taken steps to ensure the Games remain an inclusive space.
For starters, the event’s official mascot is Finnie, a friendly unicorn. The mythical creature is Scotland’s national animal, and has long been embraced as a symbol of diversity within the LGBTQ community.
Leadership at the top reflects this ethos as well. Phil Batty, the CEO of Glasgow 2026, is an out gay man and has highlighted the importance of safety and representation for all participants.
Additionally, the Pride House Glasgow project is operating throughout the Games, providing safe venues, community spaces and educational hubs for LGBTQ athletes, fans, and allies during the competition.
Against this backdrop, here are 10 Team LGBTQ athletes to watch as they chase medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games…
Amy Atwell (Australia, 3×3 basketball)
Former University of Hawaii star and 2022 WNBA draft pick Atwell has established herself as a key contributor for the “Gangurrus,” winning Olympic bronze at Paris 2024, and this year, silver at the FIBA 3×3 World Cup and gold at the Asia Cup. She is making her Commonwealth Games debut in Glasgow, where her attacking prowess will be a major threat.
Marena Whittle (Australia, 3×3 basketball)
A vocal advocate for inclusive sports, Whittle uses her platform to foster LGBTQ visibility in Australian basketball. She previously won a bronze medal in 3×3 at Birmingham 2022 and subsequently led Australia to international success in the Asia Cup, and she was part of the World Cup silver-medal-winning team alongside Atwell last month.
Julie Charlton (Australia, para athletics)
Competing in the F57 shot put category, Charlton (she/they) is an official “Thrive with Pride” ambassador for Australian sport who passionately advocates for disabled and LGBTQ youth. Having debuted at Birmingham 2022 with a ninth-place finish, Charlton also works off the track with Children and Young People with a Disability Australia (CYDA) to promote accessibility and social justice.
Gabriela DeBues-Stafford (Canada, track)
DeBues-Stafford is a two-time Olympian who finished fifth in the 1,500m at the Tokyo Games. The bisexual, queer runner, who memorably wore rainbow hair during the 2021 season to champion LGBTQ rights, holds multiple Canadian national records across indoor and outdoor distances. After missing the 2022 Games due to injury, she arrives in Glasgow healthy and ready to contend in the 5,000m.
Seamus Derbyshire (England, track)
The only man on our Glasgow 2026 Team LGBTQ roster so far, 400-meter hurdler Derbyshire has emerged as a top talent in English athletics. In recent years, he has successfully navigated performance anxiety and has also spoken candidly of the importance of bringing his authentic self to his sport. Known for his charmingly flamboyant pre-race introductions, the former European U20 silver medalist makes his Commonwealth Games debut in Glasgow.
(@seamusderbs)Lucy Robinson (England, wheelchair 3×3 basketball)
A two-time Paralympian for Great Britain (Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024) and a British Wheelchair Basketball Women’s Premier League player for Loughborough Lightning, Robinson moved into adaptive sports after a hip injury. She balances elite competition with a career as a primary school teacher and youth coach.
Michaela Walsh (Northern Ireland, boxing)
Featherweight boxer Walsh is one of Northern Ireland’s most decorated sportswomen. The Belfast fighter, who enjoys the strong support of her girlfriend, Emily, is a two-time Olympian and a triple Commonwealth Games medalist. After capturing silver in Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018, she claimed a historic gold at Birmingham 2022 alongside her boxing brother Aidan. She returns to Glasgow aiming to defend her Commonwealth crown in the -57kg category.
@commonwealthsport Commonwealth Games Boxing icon Michaela Walsh aims to defend her title at #Glasgow2026!
♬ original sound – Glasgow 2026
Robyn Love (Scotland, wheelchair 3×3 basketball)
Love is a two-time Paralympian for Great Britain and an Ambassador for Athlete Ally. Married to her GB teammate Laurie Williams (they are moms to daughter Alba), she frequently speaks on intersectionality, disability, and LGBTQ inclusion. After Birmingham 2022, where she was also a Pride House ambassador, Love will relish competing in front of a passionate home crowd in Glasgow.
Michelle-Lee Ahye (Trinidad & Tobago, track)
Ahye made history at the 2018 Gold Coast Games by becoming the first female athlete from Trinidad & Tobago to win a Commonwealth gold medal. A multi-time Olympic finalist, she is married to fellow sprinter Crystal Emmanuel-Ahye; they became moms last year to a son, named King. Facing tough competition in the women’s 100 meters, Ahye brings immense championship experience to her third Commonwealth Games appearance.
@commonwealthsport Gold for
in the Women’s 100m in 2018!
♬ original sound – Glasgow 2026
Lowri Thomas (Wales, track cycling)
Thomas is a rising star in sprint events. She made her Commonwealth Games debut at Birmingham 2022, helping Wales secure a bronze medal in the team sprint, and served as a travelling reserve for Great Britain at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Recently, Thomas won European Championship team sprint silver and will race at the Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow, aiming for top spot.
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