Gay Olympian and Children’s Rights Champion Greg Louganis Speaks Out
I interviewed Greg in advance of his ‘Voice For Justice’ award
I sat down for a chat last week with Greg Louganis, but before getting into his child-advocacy work, let me give you a quick sketch of his amazing professional life.
Greg is perhaps the most accomplished diving champion in the history of the modern Olympics movement. He’s been called both “the greatest American diver” and “probably the greatest diver in history," but his gold medals in 1984 and 1988 represent only a small slice of his life achievements.
He’s also an accomplished actor
I first saw him perform when he was 33 years old in 1993, playing Darius in an Off-Broadway production of Jeffrey, a comedy about AIDS. Word on the street was that the play would have to flop because of the subject matter, but it opened to critical and popular acclaim at the tiny WPA Theater and quickly moved on to a successful commercial run at the Minetta Lane.
I did not know as I watched Greg’s subtle, masterful performance that he was HIV positive or that he would soon host a “final birthday party” for family and friends. He had developed symptoms of AIDS, his health was failing, and he did not believe he would live much…
