India’s first openly gay athlete Dutee Chand is on the cover of Cosmopolitan India for being a ‘shining beacon of hope’

By Vandana Srivastawa

on July 08, 2019

Athlete Dutee Chand is a beacon of hope and an inspirational idol to live by. The woman has faced umpteen numbers of odds and emerged victorious braving all the storms that have come her way. Now, in a career of firsts, the star has been chosen to be on the cover of a reputed lifestyle and fashion magazine for the month of July.

The ace sprinter is the first openly gay sportsperson in India. She recently came out to declare that she is in a same-sex relationship. At a time when we’re discussing women’s empowerment, equality and LGBTQIA+, Dutee is a shining star who is unafraid to speak her mind and take on battles head-on. Check out her magazine cover below.

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So excited to have Dutee Chand on the Digital Cover of @cosmoindia July 2019. At a time when we're discussing women's empowerment and LGBTQIA+ rights, Dutee is a shining beacon of hope, courage, and grit. There's no doubt that she's one of India's finest athletes, but she is also a braveheart--a champion who has fought the odds and is unafraid to speak her mind (she happens to be India's first openly gay athlete). Whether it's training for championships or fighting social stigma, Dutee tackles challenges head-on, and doesn't believe in living with regrets. More in this month's issue of Cosmopolitan India...

A post shared by Nandini Bhalla (@nandinibhalla) on Jul 8, 2019 at 4:36am PDT

Dutee is the current national champion in the women's 100 metres event. She is the third Indian woman to ever qualify for the Women's 100 metres event at the Summer Olympic Games. Last year, Dutee clinched silver in women's 100m at the Jakarta Asian Games. It was India's first medal in this event since 1998.

This is a new beginning for a lot of positive changes and we’re super proud of Dutee as well as the magazine that chose her to be the face of the month.

(Source: Cosmopolitan India)