The Five Most Gay-Friendly Things About the 2010 Winter Olympics

Face it, there's no escaping the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Whether it's non-stop coverage of Johnny Weir's outfits, or the constant replay of those two South Koreans crashing on the speed-skating track, February is all about covering the glitz and glamour of winter sports.

And if you haven't noticed, there's also something a little LGBT-friendly about this year's games. Are they the Gay Games? No, not in the least. For really LGBT-inclusive sports, stay tuned for the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne, Germany later this year. But in its own way, the Vancouver Olympics are making little LGBT imprints. Here are five ways the Olympics are getting their gay on this time around.

5. Pride House

It's not every Olympics that has its own Pride House -- a safe space where gay athletes, coaches, friends and family can hang out. In fact, no Olympics has had one before. But Pride House has made a name for itself in Vancouver's West End, and a sister Pride House, so to speak, is bustling in Whistler. One does the education scene, one does the party scene. But both do a good job of giving anyone and everyone associated with the Olympics a safe space.

4. Lesbian Rock Stars

So yeah, K.D. Lang's performance of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah during the Opening Night ceremony pretty much made everyone's evening. Awesome dancing light birds, simmering orange candles in the audience, and a voice that could melt half the snow on Whistler Mountain. It was a performance that made K.D. Lang a household name again (for those who don't remember how contagious Constant Craving was back in the early 1990s). It was pretty phenomenal to think that one of the music world's favorite LGBT acts stole the show. Oh, and as an added bonus, NBC is using Melissa Etheridge's "This Moment" throughout their telecast of the event, mostly to close out each night. Last night the song played while clips of Canada's first ever Gold Medal winner on home soil, Alexandre Bilodeau, flashed across the tubes.

3. Remembering a Gay Son

The Olympics are all about stories that tug at our heart strings and renew our faith in both a little redemption and a little humanity. And there might be nothing more heart-warming than to see Brian Burke, the General Manager of the U.S. Hockey Team, in attendance at the games. Burke lost his son, openly gay Miami University of Ohio student Brendan Burke, in a car accident last week. When Brendan told his father he was gay, his father not only stood by him, but marched next to him in Pride parades. A few months ago, Burke used his son as an example of courage when talking about homophobia in sports. It was clear that this father loved his son more than anything, sexual orientation be damned. That's the way it should be. Of being at the Olympics, Burke simply said, "My son would have wanted me to be here." Sure, it'll be hard for Team USA's hockey team to surpass the miracle win of 1980. But it sure would be great to see them win this year for Brendan.

2. Speaking Before the Canadian Masses

Mark Tewksbury swam for Canada's Olympic team during the 1988 and 1992 Olympics. He wasn't openly gay then -- in fact, he said that there would have been hell to pay if he was open about his sexual orientation back then. But what a difference two decades makes. Tewksbury has not only made the rounds at various Vancouver venues -- including the Pride Houses -- but he was also asked to address the entire Canadian team before the official Opening Ceremonies. As an openly gay athlete. Is it possible to get a more prime-time speaking slot than that?

1. The Four Lesbian Athletes To Watch

Yes, four athletes out of thousands isn't the type of batting average to go hog-wild about. But at the same time, it's still important to know who the LGBT athletic powerhouses are performing at this year's Winter Games. Somewhat surprisingly, there are no openly gay male athletes ... *cough* Johnny Weir *cough* ... but there are four openly gay women competing in the games. Who are they? Well, prepare to get your vowels on. There's Ireen Wüst (Speed Skating), Vibeke Skofterud (Cross-Country Skiing), Sarah Vaillancourt (Hockey), and Erika Holst (Hockey). They represent the Netherlands, Norway, Canada and Sweden. Yup, given that roster it's clear these women know a thing or two about winter sports. Check 'em out. Root for 'em. And here's hoping that in 2014, when the games are in Sochi, Russia, we've got even more out athletes to root for (although here's hoping certain Russian politicians get their head out of their ass before the Games make their way to the Russian Federation).

Photo credit: mcmay