Trampoline gymnast Luke Strong has spoken publicly about being bisexual for the first time, telling the BBC that childhood bullying and online homophobia shaped his experience, while sport itself has largely offered understanding and support.

Essential Takeaways

  • Publicly open: Strong, 27, said he’s attracted to both men and women.
  • A difficult childhood: Homophobic jokes and bullying made him reluctant to talk about trampolining.
  • Sport offered support: He described the gymnastics community as broadly understanding.
  • Trolls haven’t won: Online abuse still appears, but Strong says it doesn’t define him.
  • A decorated athlete: The British champion has won world and European medals and competed for Olympic selection.

Luke Strong puts his identity into words

For Luke Strong, coming out wasn’t a dramatic announcement or a carefully staged social-media post. It happened during a BBC LGBT Sport Podcast interview, where the British trampoline gymnast spoke openly about being bisexual and about being attracted to both men and women.

That honesty matters because elite sport still has a complicated relationship with sexuality. Athletes are often expected to project certainty, toughness and control, yet personal identity rarely follows such tidy rules. Strong’s account feels more recognisably human: open, thoughtful and still partly exploratory. According to the BBC, he said he’d never hidden his attraction, although he hadn’t been in a relationship with either sex. [3]

The conversation was also the first time he’d discussed his sexuality publicly in depth. As Attitude reported, Strong had been open with people around him for years, but hadn’t experienced one defining moment that neatly fitted the phrase “coming out”. [4]

Childhood bullying made gymnastics feel complicated

Strong found trampoline gymnastics when he was young and quickly developed a passion for it. But the sport’s leotards, flexibility and expressive movement also made him a target for the lazy stereotypes that boys in gymnastics have faced for generations.

He recalled homophobic teasing at school, with the bullying becoming particularly severe during Years 8 and 9. PinkNews reported that he became embarrassed about trampolining and avoided talking about it, even though it was central to his life. [5]

That detail lands heavily. A sport that should have felt exhilarating, with the quiet rush before a jump and the sudden lift into the air, became something he sometimes felt compelled to hide. It’s a reminder that bullying doesn’t only attack identity; it can also make young people shrink away from the activities they love.

A coach became the first person he trusted

One of Strong’s most affecting memories involved a coach asking him about his sexuality. He described crying without fully understanding why, before realising that this was the first time he had genuinely expressed that part of himself to another person.

The moment shows why supportive adults matter in sport. Coaches aren’t therapists, but they can create an environment where a young athlete doesn’t feel forced to choose between performance and authenticity. DNA Magazine highlighted the importance of Strong’s account as another example of an elite sports figure speaking openly about bisexuality. [6]

Strong has said that people within the sport have generally been understanding. That contrast is striking: the gymnastics community offered room to be himself, while school and social media supplied the sharper edges. Sometimes the most important support isn’t a grand speech. It’s simply not making someone feel unusual for telling the truth.

His medals tell only part of the story

Strong is a five-time British champion and has won medals at both world and European level. He narrowly missed selection for Britain’s 2012 Olympic team and later became a reserve for the 2016 squad, achievements that underline how seriously he belongs among the country’s leading trampoline gymnasts.

Yet athletic success didn’t erase the abuse. He has continued to encounter homophobic comments and messages online, although he told the BBC that such trolls no longer occupy much space in his mind. Outsports reported that he felt more pity than anger towards people who still treat being called gay as an insult. [2]

That response is quietly powerful. It doesn’t pretend abuse is harmless, but it refuses to hand trolls control over his confidence. In a sporting culture increasingly shaped by public commentary, that kind of emotional distance can be as valuable as any medal.

Why bisexual visibility in sport still matters

Bisexual athletes remain underrepresented in public sports stories, and that can leave young people with the impression that they must explain, simplify or defend their identity. Strong’s openness pushes back against that pressure without suggesting he has every answer.

His story also broadens the conversation beyond the familiar idea of a single, perfectly timed coming-out announcement. Identity can be shared gradually, privately and on a person’s own terms. Out reported that Strong had been comfortable discussing his sexuality with those close to him, even though the BBC interview marked a new level of public visibility. [4]

For aspiring athletes, the message is reassuring: you don’t need to fit a stereotype to belong in gymnastics, and you don’t need to turn your personal life into a performance. Strong’s return from injury may be the next chapter in his sporting career, but his openness has already made the arena a little more welcoming for someone watching from the sidelines.

It's a small but meaningful step towards making sport feel safer, freer and more honest.

Source Reference Map

Story idea inspired by: [1]

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