There has never been a better time for Italian fighter I. Testa. Since winning an Olympic medal, she has gained the confidence to finally come out.
I. Testa Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
In a recent interview with the Italian edition of Vanity Fair, I. Testa, who brought home bronze in the women’s featherweight division at Tokyo 2020, thinks the distinction marks her as one of the finest in her sport. I. Testa claims she had no need to hold out after she established her credibility.
Athletes “keep silent and hide away” because they are afraid of negative publicity, she claimed. Up until recently, it was the same for me. But now that I. Testa the athlete is safe, I. Testa the woman can be open and honest. That medal from Tokyo is my shield.
What you said is articulate, if not poetic. I. Testa may have been out in her personal life, but she may have had an effect on the lives of others in the LGBTQ community by coming out publicly. Ultimately, that’s why I. Testa decided to expose her genuine identity.
It’s not good that “so many people” are still discriminated against, she said. To paraphrase: “I can’t do much, but by being honest about who I am, I can show that there’s nothing wrong with being LGBTQ.”
Yes, that’s true. More openly gay athletes than ever before competed at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. If the LGBTQ community were a country (how we dream! ), they would have placed eighth.
I. Testa is regarded as a top-tier female boxer. She had already triumphed in the 2019 European Championships before heading to Tokyo. I. Testa made it to the quarter-finals in Rio in 2016.
I. Testa will have plenty of company at the Paris 2024 Olympics, as the number of female athletes outweighed male athletes by a ratio of 9 to 1. Rashida Ells (USA), Kellie Harrington (IRE), Irish Magno (PHIL), Nesthy Petecio (PHIL), and Michaela Walsh (IRE) were the five female boxers that competed in the Tokyo Olympics (Ireland).
Because “champions are expected to be ideal,” I. Testa said, “talking about sexual orientation in the realm of athletics has a specific value.” It’s true that many people still view homosexuality as a flaw in society.
