Tom Daley & His Coming Out

It’s been nearly eight years since Tom Daley became one of the most prominent athletes in the United Kingdom to come out publicly – and almost a decade later, the 27-year-old diver has no regrets about the timing or manner in which he chose to do so.

As Tom reveals on the cover of the Attitude July issue – which is now available to download and order globally – the Team GB star admits that, while he occasionally wishes he had come out sooner, he believes that opening up about his relationship with now-husband Dustin Lance Black in a December 2013 YouTube video was the “best way” for him to address his sexuality.

“I don’t believe I would have done anything differently,” says Tom, who came out at the age of 19.

“I always wish I’d come out sooner, but there was also a time for me to experiment and discover who I am.

“I didn’t want to have to go through all of that in public, so I believe that doing it the way I did was the best course of action for me.”

Tom was already well-versed in the demands of public life when he began discreetly dating Oscar-winning screenwriter Black at the age of 14.

When asked if he ever regrets exposing so much of his private life to the world, Tom, whose son Robbie was born via surrogate in 2018, answers, “I don’t believe I ever will.” What is, is. I share what I want to share, which includes anything on my social media and other platforms.

“At the end of the day, I’ve lived with it since I was a child, and I don’t feel any different as a result, if that makes sense?” And I am unaware of any exceptions.”

Tom, who is ready to compete in his fourth consecutive Olympics this summer in Tokyo, adds that when it comes to social media opinions, it’s just water off a diver’s back.
“You may read a lot about yourself […] but what matters most are the opinions of your friends and family,” Tom muses.

“Of course, I’m constantly conscious of what’s going on and cognizant of things, but I try not to become consumed by it.”