Joe Biden sends queer lawmakers & LGBTQ+ allies to Paris Olympics

As the world gears up for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, PresidentJoe Biden has announced the presidential delegations that will attend the opening and closing ceremonies, which includes out U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler and Rep. Robert Garcia.

First LadyJill Biden will lead the delegation to the opening ceremony on Friday. Joining her is Dawn Staley, the head women’s basketball coach at the University of South Carolina. Staley, a three-time Olympic gold medalist in women’s basketball, has been a transformative figure in the sport. Since taking over as head coach in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to two NCAA titles and six Final Four appearances.

Staley’s inclusion in the delegation is notable not just for her athletic achievements but also for her advocacy fortransgender athletes. In April,she publicly supported the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports, stating, “If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports…you should be able to play.”

Related: University of South Carolina coach Dawn Staley says she supports transgender athletes in women’s sports

Other members of the opening ceremony delegation include Denise Campbell Bauer, the U.S. Ambassador to the French Republic and the Principality of Monaco;Delaware Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Coons;California Democratic U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla; Democratic Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass; Casey Wasserman, chairperson of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and Brian Boitano, a three-time Olympian and Olympic gold medalist in figure skating.

Harris’s husband, Second GentlemanDoug Emhoff, will lead the delegation to the closing ceremony on August 11. Notable figures, including California U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler, will accompany Emhoff. Butler made history as the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the U.S. Senate from California and its first Black LGBTQ+ member, sworn in on October 3, following the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Joining them is California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, the first gay immigrant elected to Congress.

Other members of the closing ceremony delegation include Bauer; Chaunté Lowe, a member of the president’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition and a four-time Olympian and Olympic bronze medalist in track and field; and Briana Scurry, two-time Olympian, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and World Cup Champion in women’s soccer.

Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, lauded Staley’s lead. The Paris 2024 Olympics will feature a significant representation of LGBTQ+ athletes.According toThe Advocate’s sibling publication, Pride.com, at least 146 publicly out LGBTQ+ athletes are set to compete, marking the second consecutive Summer Games with triple-digit representation.

Among the LGBTQ+ athletes are British diver Tom Daley, Canadian soccer player Quinn, and USA track athletes Sha’Carri Richardson and Nikki Hiltz.