TL;DR

• British curler Bruce Mouat hopes his visibility as an openly gay athlete encourages LGBTQ people to join sports.
• Mouat is a world champion, Olympic medalist, and a favourite for gold at Milano Cortina.
• He credits coming out publicly with improving his performance and strengthening team support.
• His success highlights growing LGBTQ representation in the Winter Olympics.
• Mouat wants the sports world—especially curling—to feel safe, inclusive, and celebratory.

Curling Star Bruce Mouat Wants to Sweep LGBTQ Athletes Into a Safer Sports World

British curling champ Bruce Mouat isn’t just aiming for Olympic gold at Milano Cortina—he’s aiming to prove that the icy sheets of his sport can be one of the warmest spaces for LGBTQ athletes. The 31-year-old Scot, already a world champion and Olympic silver medallist, has become a standout not just for his precision on the ice, but for the unapologetic authenticity he brings to it.

Mouat made history in 2023 as the first openly gay curler to win a World Men’s Curling Championship title, and he hasn’t stopped smashing barriers—or records—since. Last season, Team Mouat became the first rink ever to snag four Grand Slams in a single year, a feat that iced their status as Olympic favourites. Their second world title, clinched last April, only solidified their dominance. And through all of it, Mouat says the turning point was simple: living openly and refusing to shrink himself for anyone.

“I wanted to be open about who I was,” he told Reuters. “I didn’t want to lie in interviews. I wanted to be authentically myself—and it was freeing.” With supportive teammates behind him and a partner cheering loudly from the stands, Mouat found not just comfort but elevated performance. “I’ve played better, ultimately, being able to be myself,” he said. Turns out honesty really is the best policy—especially when medals are involved.

A New Era for LGBTQ Representation on Ice

Mouat is far from alone in this shift. The 2022 Winter Olympics welcomed at least 36 publicly out athletes—a record—according to Outsports. Eleven of them were men, including Mouat and gold-winning French figure skating star Guillaume Cizeron. This visibility stands in sharp contrast to just a decade ago. In Sochi 2014, amid Russia’s crackdown on LGBTQ rights, none of the male competitors were publicly out.

Progress, clearly, is happening. But athletes like Mouat are pushing it further—reframing sport not as a place one must toughen oneself against hostility, but as a refuge where identity adds to, rather than subtracts from, strength.

Love on Ice: A Moment That Mattered

When Mouat captured the world title last year, it wasn’t the trophy lift that went viral—it was the embrace he shared with his partner, Craig Kyle, who sprinted onto the ice the moment victory was sealed. For Mouat, sharing that moment publicly wasn’t just romance—it was strategy. “Just to put that on a different platform is hopefully going to motivate other people,” he said.

He believes that if people see LGBTQ athletes celebrated rather than sidelined, more will feel empowered to lace up, step in, and feel safe. “It doesn’t have to be elite sport,” he emphasized. “They can just get into sport. I want to prove that it’s a safe space.”

Curling’s Inclusive Glow-Up

While some sports are still catching up, curling seems determined to slide into the future with style. Mouat highlighted a pride night at the last Grand Slam—complete with drag queens performing after the event. According to him, it was as fabulous as it sounds. Fans, allies, and LGBTQ athletes packed the arena, creating a celebration that felt worlds away from sports’ historically conservative corners.

That kind of visible, joyous support is exactly what helps LGBTQ athletes—not just in curling, but everywhere—feel seen, welcomed, and empowered. Mouat’s success becomes not just a personal triumph but a spotlight on what sports can be when they open their arms instead of closing ranks.

For now, he’s focused on Milano Cortina and the gold that’s eluded him. But for LGBTQ kids watching from cold rinks, small towns, or living rooms far from Italy, Mouat is already a champion—the kind who proves that being yourself is not a liability but a winning strategy. And if he has his way, the sporting world will keep getting safer, brighter, and a whole lot gayer.