On July 28th, The New Civil Rights Movement profiled London 2012 Olympics archer Karen Anne Hultzer. Hultzer, 46, had not publicly spoken about her sexuality but her partner, Tracey Kim Saunders, had told South African media she was happy to be identified as gay.
READ: 2012 Olympics: Who Are The LGBT Athletes? Day Eleven — Karen Anne Hultzer
On July 30th, Hultzer gave Outsports.com her first public statement about her sexual orientation:
“I am an archer, middle aged and a lesbian. I am also cranky before my first cup of coffee. None of these aspects define who I am, they are simply part of me.
“I am fortunate that my sexual identity is not an issue, and I don’t suffer the level of discrimination and violence that black lesbians in South Africa do.
“I look forward to the day when this is a non-issue and as relevant as my eye color or favorite sushi.â€
Hultzer is only the second-ever South African Summer Olympian, and first archer, to come out. Volleyball player Leigh-Ann Naidoo confirmed that she was gay in 2004
Hultzer was eliminated from the women’s archery contest by Italian Pia Lionetti on July 30th. She lost 6-2. South Africa did not compete in the team competition, as she was the only South African competing.
You can follow Karen on her Facebook page, Karen Hultzer at the London Olympics 2012.
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Stuart Wilber. Photo by Mathew Ryan Williams
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Stuart Wilber believes that living life openly as a Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender or Allied person is the most powerful kind of activism. Shortly after meeting his partner in Chicago in 1977, he opened a gallery named In a Plain Brown Wrapper, where he exhibited cutting edge work by leading artists; art that dealt with sexuality and gender identification. In the late 1980’s when they moved to San Clemente, CA in Orange County, life as an openly gay couple became a political act. They moved to Seattle 16 years ago and married in Canada a few weeks after British Columbia legalized same-sex marriage. Although legally married in some countries, they are only considered domestic partners in Washington State. Equality continues to elude him.