Gay Athlete Campbell Harrison’s ‘Powerful’ Olympic Qualification Kiss with Boyfriend
Image: Campbell Harrison hugging boyfriend Justin, via Instagram
Gay athlete Campbell Harrison has described his Olympic qualification kiss with his boyfriend as “powerful”.
The Australian sports climber took to Instagram to share the emotional moment of his eight-year long journey, as he achieved a perfect score at the Oceania boulder and lead qualifier.
Campbell Harrison’s flawless performance secured him an Australian spot in the men’s competition at the Games.
Following his victory on the bouldering wall, Harrison shared a kiss with his partner Justin, whom he credited as being “everything to me”.
Campbell Harrison’s Path to Olympic Qualification
In February, the Australian Olympic Committee officially confirmed the 26-year-old’s selection.
Last November, Harrison secured his spot in the Olympics and shared his emotions through an Instagram post. He expressed that words couldn’t fully convey his feelings and instead shared the moment with his followers.
The Olympic-qualifying climber described the journey as being the “culmination of more than a decade of blood, sweat, tears, and utter heartbreak…The pressure I felt going into this final was physically painful, to the point where I didn’t know that I could stand it”.
He acknowledged that going to the Olympics was a dream come true, and thanked his psychologist, coaches, sponsors, fellow competitors and his family for the support they’d given him over the years.
In his post, Harrison told homophobes to “fuck off” and offered a heartfelt thanks to his boyfriend Justin, acknowledging his immense support over the past four years. He emphasised that this victory belonged to both of them.
The image he used in his pinned celebration post on Instagram depicts him kissing his boyfriend, Justin, sourced from a live broadcast screenshot.
Campbell Harrison Recognised for LGBTQ+ Representation
Harrison was nominated as LGBTQ+ role model of the year by Pride in Sport in March to honour his contribution to representation and activism in the sporting community.
His fellow nominees include Hockey players Davis Atkin, Greta Hayes and founder of the World Gay Boxing Championships Martin Stark.
Harrison spoke to Outsports about kissing his boyfriend after cinching the win, stating “From what I could see, every other athlete who qualified whose partner was there, kissed their partner on the live stream, so it was very common”.
“But when it’s two men, it catches attention for sure! And that can be a good and powerful thing. I’m glad all the feedback that I’ve seen has been positive. But it’s interesting how this one really caught people’s eye — the same-sex couple”, he said.
Harrison reflected on his journey, noting how his confidence developed as he embraced his true self. After becoming more vocal about his identity, he found the queer community response ‘so empowering’.
“My confidence developed over time as I became more comfortable with myself. And the response I’ve had from the queer community for being more vocal about who I am has been so empowering, especially since qualifying for the Olympics. I’ve been totally overwhelmed”, he said.
“The number of queer people who have messaged me to say how much it means to them or on my Crowdfunder donations, where there are Pride flags on every other comment… it’s been really special”, he added.
