“Kelly Holmes is only the tip of the iceberg,” said gay rights activist Peter Tatchell, who added that “many other great British sports stars haven’t been allowed to come out. The section 28 rule, which was in effect from 1988 to 2003 in England and Wales and until 2000 in Scotland, forbade schools from “promoting homosexuality.” Until 2000, gay people in the military could be fired, and some were court-martialed. When Holmes first realized she was gay in 1988, Britain was gripped by the Aids pandemic, which stigmatized LGBT people, according to Holmes. What did Kelly Holmes say when she revealed her sexuality?
