Greg Louganis, one of the first athletes to come out about his sexuality and HIV status, will be auctioning off his Olympic medals to support LGBTQ+ organizations. It is no surprise to Queerguru as we had the pleasure of interviewing this charismatic man some years back and were so struck by the generosity of his spirit.
Louganis, an inspiration to LGBTQ+ athletes and an advocate for HIV prevention and awareness has won a total of five medals over his 12-year Olympic diving career for Team USA. He will be auctioning off his 1976 silver medal, a 1984 gold medal, and a 1988 gold medal, which could raise an estimated total of $2.4 million. These will raise funds to support the Damien Center’s One Home Capital Campaign initiative for a sorely needed new building.
More specifically, he would like to name 2 different areas of the new building. One for his mother, Frances Louganis, and the other for his dear friend, Ryan White. White had touched the nation’s heart when aged 13 he contracted HIV and devoted the rest of his short life as an articulate and brave activist
Louganis is also donating a sculpture of White to The Damien Center. Created by artist Bill Mack, “Hope” was a limited-edition series; Mack gave one sculpture each to Louganis, Elton John, Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson. “The day we unveil the Welcome Center to honor Ryan White, my friend, will mark one of the most important milestones in my life,” Louganis said.
Louganis said, “The medals, they’re in the history books, so instead of holding on to them, I’m aiming to share my piece of Olympic history with collectors; together, we can help the Damien Center and its community to grow and thrive.”
The Greg Louganis Olympic Collection 14 SEPTEMBER 2023 | STARTING AT 12:00 PDT https://www.bonhams.com/
Labels: 2023, AIDS Charity, Greg Louganis, Medal Auction, Ryan White, The Damien Center
