In less than six months, the best athletes from the USA and around the world will travel to Sochi, Russia, for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Despite Russia’s harsh anti-LGBT laws, athletes of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and backgrounds will come together in Sochi in hopes of achieving Olympic glory. By choosing to compete in Russia, many LGBT athletes will soon make a global statement for equality through participation and competition on the world’s stage.

The LGBT athletes who will compete in the Olympic Games need our support now. LGBT athletes who have come out (and those yet to come out) need to know that we stand behind them. To channel support for these LGBT Olympic athletes, we calling on athletes from all across the world to come #Out4Olympics.

Today, we are excited to announce the launch of #Out4Olympics: We believe the #O4O campaign will prove that LGBT athletes from around the world are ready to come out and we are ready to support our fellow LGBT athletes. As the first national network of LGBT athletes in the United States, we at GO! Athletes believe now is a critical time to come #Out4Olympics. To join the #Out4Olympics campaign, you simply need to:

1) Find your favorite sports photo of yourself;

2) Add the #Out4Olympics logo (using an app like Twibbon); and

3) Submit your #O4O to @GO_Athletes.

With your help, the GO! Athletes Team will publish a book of all #Out4Olympics participants that we will present to the International Olympic Committee, the U.S. Olympic Committee, the U.S. Department of State and the Russian Department of State to support American and international LGBT athletes. 

The LGBT athletes preparing to compete in the 2014 Olympic Games don’t just need the support of coaches, fans and their governments: They need your support. You have the power to make a huge impact on your team, your community, and even on the elite athletes competing in the Olympic Games by joining the #Out4Olympics campaign.

Now is the time to support LGBT athletes and be #Out4Olympics!