When she was 23, Kelly’s quarters were searched by Royal Military Police in a check which she believed was to root out secret lesbians. You could be yourself, then come back to your barracks.” “There was this pub that had a back dance floor and a pool table and everyone we knew was gay used to go to this place. “Everyone knew who was gay, but you’d never talk about it,” she says. Kelly had secret relationships with other female soldiers during 10 years in the Army – risking court martial if they got caught. I was confused and a bit scared of what it meant and nervous to tell him. She adds: “I said I met a girl and I don’t know what to do. It felt more natural, I felt comfortable.” Kelly wrote to her stepdad – whom she has always thought of as her father after her real dad walked out when she was a baby – to explain what had happened.ĭame Kelly Holmes at the Platinum Jubilee. She signed up to the Women’s Royal Army CorpsĪ fellow soldier kissed her at the bathroom block and, says Kelly: “I realised I must be gay then, because it felt good. And back then, school sex education was nothing to do with being gay.”īut things changed when she joined the Forces in 1988, a month before her 18th birthday.
I didn’t have any role models in anything like that. She says: “It was an era where the stigma of homosexuality was really bad because of the AIDS epidemic. Yet, for Kelly, sexuality wasn't even on her radar when she dated boys as a teenager in Hildenborough, Kent. One problem, Kelly says, is that the more famous she became, the harder it was to come out. They haven’t been in this fearful world with me for 34 years.” Of previous partners, she adds: “No disrespect to them, but the relationships have only been a small part of my life. Dame Deborah James raises £1m for cancer through In The Style clothing line.Iceland's 1lb Big Daddy cheeseburger is almost ruined by one thing.She has a partner and, while she doesn’t want to give details, she smiles and says: “It’s the first time I’ve had someone who I don’t introduce as a PA or friend.” Read More Related Articles She added: "I was convinced throughout my whole life that if I admitted to being gay in the Army I’d still be in trouble.”įamily and close friends have known for years that Kelly is gay. The moment this comes out, I’m essentially getting rid of that fear.”ĭame Kelly even feared retrospective action for breaching Forces rules. I feel like I’m going to explode with excitement. Kelly said: "I needed to do this now, for me. She said this fear tainted a parade after winning 800 and 1,500 metres gold in Athens in 2004.Īfter years of pain, and fully aware of rumours about her sexuality, she is grateful to be breaking the news on her own terms. She also dreaded being 'outed' or judged. Dame Kelly Holmes has come out during Pride month.