British Curler Bruce Mouat Aims to Show Sports as Safe Space for LGBTQ+ People Ahead of Milano Cortina Olympics

Bruce Mouat, a 31-year-old Scottish curler from Edinburgh, leads Great Britain's men's curling team as they prepare for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, set to begin in February. Great Britain enters as one of the favorites, building on their 2023 World Men's Curling Championship gold and silver medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Mouat, who came out at age 18, became the first openly gay curler to win a World Men's Curling Championship title in 2023 and repeated the feat in 2025. In a recent Reuters interview, he explained his motivation: "I wanted to be open about who I was, I didn't want to be asked questions in interviews and have to lie. I wanted to be authentically myself and it really was a freeing moment." He noted that being public ahead of the 2022 Olympics improved his play: "I've played better, ultimately, being able to be myself, my teammates are amazingly supportive."

Mouat shared an embrace with his partner, Craig Kyle, on the ice after his 2025 world title win, using social media to showcase their support. "Sharing my journey on social media platforms and showing that I have a loving partner who's extremely supportive of me, to be able to go and compete and win world championships and for him to be there and for us to embrace, "Mouat said. He aims to motivate LGBTQ+ people: "Just to put that on a bit of a different platform is hopefully going to motivate other people in the community. It doesn't have to be elite sport, they can just get into sport. I just want to prove that it's a safe space for people."

Team GB recently named Mouat's rink—alongside Team Morrison and mixed doubles pair Mouat and Jennifer Dodds—for the Olympics, marking returns for Mouat after his Beijing silver. His team achieved a historic feat last year by winning four Grand Slams in one season, reinforcing their status as gold contenders.

Mouat praised curling's growing inclusivity, citing a recent Grand Slam event with a pride night featuring drag queens and support from allies and LGBTQ+ community members. "There were lots of people there to support, allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community. I love my sport to bits, "he said.

Contextually, openly LGBTQ+ athletes at Winter Olympics have increased; Outsports reported at least 36 publicly out athletes, including 11 men, at Beijing 2022, with Mouat and French skater Guillaume Cizeron medaling. The first openly gay male Winter Olympic champion was Canada's Eric Radford in Pyeongchang 2018, following no openly gay men in Sochi 2014 due to Russia's restrictions on promoting "non-traditional sexual relations."

Mouat's openness underscores sports'potential as a welcoming space for transgender people and other LGBTQ+ individuals, aligning with broader community efforts for representation. His story highlights how authenticity fosters success and community building in elite competition.