British diver Tom Daley celebrated his first gold medal win in four Olympic Games at Tokyo on Monday by delivering a heartfelt message of support to young LGBTQ people.
“I hope that any young LGBT person out there can see that no matter how alone you feel right now, you are not alone,” said Daley, 27. “You can achieve anything and there is a whole lot of your chosen family out here, ready to support you.”
Daley delivered his speech at a table flanked by his Chinese and Russian competitors, who respectively took silver and bronze medals, meaning that media in both countries—neither of which allow same sex marriage—were broadcasting his words. Daley has previously said that he avoided taking part in a competition in Russia shortly after coming out because he felt unsafe given the prevalence of homophobia and a raft of anti-LGBTQ legislation in the country.
“I feel incredibly proud to say that I am a gay man and also an Olympic champion,” said Daley, who made his Olympic debut when he was only 14. “When I was younger I didn’t think I’d ever achieve anything because of who I was. To be an Olympic cha…