World class ski jumper Andrzej Stekala has come out, sharing that he’s gay and previously feared public knowledge of his sexuality would damage his career.
The Polish athlete also shared the heartbreaking news that his partner of eight years passed away in November.
The 29-year-old wrote on Facebook he published a post of Facebook telling fans he wanted them to know who he really was.
“For a long time I wondered if I would ever find the strength to write these words,” Stekala wrote. “For years I lived in the shadow of fear, in hiding, afraid that who I really was could destroy me. I want you to really get to know me. I’m gay.”
In recent years Poland had experienced a high level of homophobia with some areas declaring themselves to be LGBTIQA+ free zones. A 2024 report from ILGA-Europe described the region as having some of the worst LGBTIQA+ rights in the region.
In 2015 the Law and Justice party came to power and the local LGBTIQA+ communities reported experiencing increased levels of discrimination.
The government changed in 2023 and new Prime Minister Donald Tusk proposed allowing civil partnerships for same-sex couples, but the law might still be vetoed by conservative president Andrzej Duda who retains the presidency.
