Dame Kelly Holmes said she realised she was gay at the age of 17 after kissing a fellow female soldier
The sporting superstar decided to come out during Pride Month after living a "secret life" for decades.As a soldier - at a time when homosexuals were banned from the Forces - she said she felt forced into silence.“I was convinced throughout my whole life that if I admitted to being gay in the Army I’d still be in trouble," she said.
She admitted: “There have been lots of dark times where I wished I could scream that I am gay – but I couldn’t.”Family and close friends have known for years that Dame Kelly is gay. Speaking of her decision to come out now, she said: "I needed to do this now, for me. It was my decision. I'm nervous about saying it. I feel like I'm going to explode with excitement.Great Britain's gold medal winner Kelly Holmes celebrates winning the 800m at the Olympic Stadium during the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, in 2004.
She contacted a military LGBTQ+ leader in 2020 to find out if she could be sanctioned for breaking army rules and was told she would not be.
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