Lesbian Olympic snowboarder Belle Brockhoff targeted with onslaught of anti-gay hate tweets

Feb 16 2014
Written by Aaron Day

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a white background.

Lesbian Australian snowboarder Belle Brockhoff has revealed she has been the target of an onslaught of vicious anti-gay hate tweets, including messages saying she should “break a leg and get locked in the slammer.”

Speaking to reporters after recently placing eighth in the ladies’ boardercross at Extreme Park, the 21-year-old said: “I’ve had a lot of people tweeting me about different things.

“I’ve had hate tweets. But it’s good getting different sides of the story, and trying to open your eyes a lot more before you say anything.

“I’ve been called an aggressive something dyke or something, but I thought it was pretty funny. This one guy said, ‘I’m right behind Putin, you should break a leg and get locked in the slammer’ … The hate is funny.”

President Vladimir Putin signed the controversial law in June banning the promotion of “non-traditional relationships” toward minors, a move that has been criticised as part of a broader crackdown on Russia’s gay community.

In an interview with BBC Sport leading up to the Olympic Games, Ms Brockhoff previously said her parents were “so worried” about her competing in Sochi.

She added: “I want to go there because I’m not afraid of these laws and I want others that live in Russia, who are homosexuals, to see that.”