Olympic Diver Tom Daley Has Been Awarded an OBE

Out diver Tom Daley has received the title of OBE (the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for his services to his sport, LGBTQ+ rights, and charitable works. Daley says he sees the honor as a calling to continue his fight for the rights of marginalized people.

"I feel it's almost like a responsibility to make the whole Commonwealth a better place for LGBT people, for women, for people of color, to make it a more inclusive and more accepting environment," he told BBC Breakfast.

The diver has repeatedly spoken out in support of LGBTQ+ rights globally, most recently calling out sports leagues for holding events in countries with poor LGBTQ+ rights records.

"I think it's really important to be able to lift up all of the people that feel like they're outsiders, feel like they don't fit in, and feel like they have been 'less than' for so many years, to support them in being whatever they want to be," he explained. "It is now my responsibility to try and help create change and help create this environment where everybody can be anything that they want, no matter where they came from," adding, "I feel... able to lift up their voices."

Daley won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics alongside his diving partner, Matty Lee, in the men's synchronized 10 meters platform. He first came out in 2013, and in 2017 he married screenwriter Dustin Lance Black. The couple now share a son, Robbie. Daley has voiced the importance of being visible as an out gay man. "If you can't see it, you can't be," he said.

As for Daley's future in diving, he's not ready to retire quite yet. Daley said he hasn't ruled out returning to the diving board for the Paris 2024 games. In an interview with GQ, the Olympian said he's considering his next steps. "I always said that I'll keep going until my body gives up or until I get the gold medal. And I've got the gold medal. But my body's getting better," he told the publication.