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Olympian Harry Garside on the backlash he’s received for being a boxer who also wears skirts
The 25-year-old boxer is taking down outdated gender norms.
Boxer Harry Garside made international headlines after winning a bronze medal in the men’s lightweight division at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
In addition to being a champ at knocking out opponents, the 25-year-old Australian athlete has proven to be a pro at taking down outdated stereotypes.
Despite being immersed in the hyper masculine world of boxing, Garside has never shied away from flaunting his love for painted nails or expressing himself by wearing skirts or other gender nonconforming attire.
At the GQ Awards last year, Garside turned the red carpet into his own personal runway as he arrived shirtless under a black blazer with a pleated grey miniskirt and a pair of black leather daddy boots. TKO!
After sharing other images in dresses and skirts on Instagram, Garside explained to his followers that his motivation was to help other men embrace their feminine side and not fall prey to the hazards of toxic masculinity.
While Garside identifies as straight, he’s now opening up about some of the backlash he’s received, including homophobic comments, for daring to wear outfits outside typical gender norms.
Garside is currently a contestant on the Australian reality series I’m A Celebrity …Get Me Out of Here! and discussed the backlash for turning a fierce lewk and how it makes him fear for what more vulnerable individuals may be going through.
“People have often questioned my sexuality and been quite homophobic towards me,” Garside explained to another contestant, according to the DailyMail.
“I am a straight man and I am very comfortable in my own skin, but I am lucky I have got thick skin but I am sure that if they are saying that to an athlete, who else are they saying it to.”
He added: “I guess chopping people down for being who they are, people need to be really careful about what they are saying, especially online — just because you can’t see someone, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t impact them.”
While his profession requires him to expend a lot of masculine energy in the ring, Garside admitted he finds more comfort embracing the feminine.
“It has been quite an interesting roller coaster for me over the last few years I guess embracing more my feminine energy, which is actually where I think I sit more often,” he said. “Being in a masculine very male dominated sport, it raises a few eyebrows. It is different.”
While the sports world is not often a safe space for the queer community, Garside is trying to do his part to dismantle some of the toxicity while also being an LGBTQ+ ally.
“I hope that I’m being a good advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community and helping make more straight people start questioning their beliefs,” he told DNA . “I’ve taken off my mask and slowly attracted the people who love me that way – and I love it too!”
Once his stint on reality TV ends, Garside plans to keep training for the 2024 Olympics and wearing whatever the hell he wants.
Check out more photos of Garside showing off all his beautiful sides:
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