{"id":526,"date":"2021-02-26T10:26:29","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T10:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/?p=526"},"modified":"2021-02-26T10:26:29","modified_gmt":"2021-02-26T10:26:29","slug":"lgbt-history-month-26-28-your-queero-nicola-adams-obe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/2021\/02\/26\/lgbt-history-month-26-28-your-queero-nicola-adams-obe\/","title":{"rendered":"LGBT+ History Month 26\/28: Your Queero, Nicola Adams OBE"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Queeroes Series has run with amazing success and the feedback has been amazing thus far, thank you!<\/p>\n<p>So far we\u2019ve discovered the lives, stories and legacies of people who have made changes in law, politics, society and the world of entertainment and sports.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve just concluded the <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/tag\/allies-arc\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>allies arc<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, a series of LGBTQ+ Queeroes who are heterosexual and are fighting for the rights, freedom and equalities for the community. As LGBTQ+ History Month is coming to an end, I thought it would be a nice opportunity to hear the voices of others within the University on who they consider LGBTQ+ heroes.<\/p>\n<p>Today we hear from Molly Norton, a Placements Officer in the School of Management, who wishes to tell us the story of someone who she recognises as a Queero, Nicola Adams OBE.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-527\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/155\/2021\/02\/Boxer.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"478\" height=\"430\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/155\/2021\/02\/Boxer.jpg 478w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/155\/2021\/02\/Boxer-300x270.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/155\/2021\/02\/Boxer-239x215.jpg 239w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 478px) 100vw, 478px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Nicola Adams was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire on the 26th October 1982.\u00a0 She attended Agnes Stewart CofE High School and during this time began her interest in boxing.\u00a0 In 2001, Adams, aka the Lioness, had achieved glory as the first female boxer to represent England, and by 2003 became an English amateur champion.\u00a0 But with all this success there lies a history of sadness and abuse.<\/p>\n<p>As a child Nicola\u2019s home life was distressing to say the least.\u00a0 Her father was abusive towards her and her mother.\u00a0 Aged just 4 years old she put herself between them with a toy sword in hopes of protecting her mother.\u00a0 Nicola herself received physical abuse from her father but was more concerned with her mother\u2019s wellbeing.\u00a0 It took three years of begging for her mum to get the courage to leave.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-529\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/155\/2021\/02\/NA-Young.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/155\/2021\/02\/NA-Young.jpg 700w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/155\/2021\/02\/NA-Young-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/155\/2021\/02\/NA-Young-358x215.jpg 358w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">Young Nicola Adams (left)<\/p>\n<p>Today, Nicola is a celebrated sportswoman and continues to live life to the full, with a beaming smile on her face.\u00a0 Her story, and legacy, are inspirational for all, LGBTQ+ or otherwise.\u00a0 And here\u2019s why\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>[JB] So Molly,<\/strong> <strong>who is Nicola Adams?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>[MN] Nicola is a world champion British professional boxer.\u00a0 Well, former British professional boxer.<\/p>\n<p>She retired in November 2019 with an impressive undefeated record.\u00a0 Who CV is highly commendable as she is the only female boxer in the history of the sport to have won every major title available to her; Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth. \u00a0Most notably, she won Gold twice at both the London 2012 and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games \u2013 being the first openly LGBTQ+ person to win an Olympic boxing Gold medal.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FBqgUq4xQeI?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-GB&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Her titles don\u2019t end there and in addition to her work inside the ring, outside she was named the most Influential LGBT person in Britain by The Independent in 2012.<\/p>\n<p><strong>[JB] Sounds impressive!\u00a0 And on a less physical side of things, what has her involvement been on behalf the <\/strong><strong>LGBTQ+ community? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>[MN] Nicola provides a role model to many LGBTQ+ people without even trying! \u00a0She is modest about the role she plays, but her professional success and OBE recognition marks Nicola as a true inspiration that you can achieve anything you want if you work hard for it.<\/p>\n<p>When Nicola first arrived in the public eye, she was wary of talking about her sexuality.\u00a0 With the world of sports being a highly homophobic place, being LGBTQ+ isn\u2019t something that you can easily just be.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>\u201cWhen I started doing interviews, I\u00a0never knew what to say, so I never mentioned it. But I started to feel like I\u00a0was going into myself. I didn't want to\u00a0hide anything \u2013 it's not something I\u00a0would ever hide, and I don't want people to think I am ashamed of it.\"<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In true spirit of this, in September 2020, Nicola announced that she would feature in <em>Strictly Come Dancing<\/em> as the first ever same-sex couple to compete, saying \"It's definitely time to move on and be more diverse, and this is a brilliant step in the right direction\u201d.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4ymt6kUL_Bw?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-GB&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Nicola\u2019s public image gives a positive platform for LGBTQ+ people to look up to; she is strong, both physically and mentally, and isn\u2019t afraid to be open about her identity, both as a lesbian and a black woman.<\/p>\n<p>Also, Nicola uses her public platform to knock-out common misconceptions about labelling people and putting them into a specific \u201cbox\u201d. \u00a0She recently made clear on Twitter that she is not bisexual and that if she had her way, she \u201cwouldn\u2019t be in any \u2018box\u2019 at all\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CKRHXFPgXb3\/\">https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CKRHXFPgXb3\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, there aren\u2019t many LGBTQ+ people of colour in the spotlight, or females of colour for that matter, and she is an icon to so many not just within the LGBTQ+ community.\u00a0 The Powerlist noted her as one of the most influential people of African\/African-Caribbean descent in the UK.<\/p>\n<p><strong>[JB] <\/strong><strong>Nicola\u2019s story is truly amazing and so inspirational.\u00a0 Tell me, what exactly it is that makes her <u>your<\/u> Queero?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>[MN] Nicola and I share something in common\u2026 our height.<\/p>\n<p><strong>[JB] ???<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>[MN] Nicola is a 5ft 4\u201d boxing champion and I give her huge kudos for getting in the ring, when most people are bigger than us!\u00a0 Despite her stature she holds strength to stand her ground and achieve her goal \u2013 whether that\u2019s a knockout or otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s such a strong visual for all us \u2018shorter than average\u2019 people that feel intimidated by bigger people who often use their stature to bully and intimidate us.<\/p>\n<p>More importantly though, Nicola does not give up and she stands for what she believes in.\u00a0 She entered boxing when the sport was banned at a professional level for women as late as 1998, as it was believed that PMT made women too unstable to fight\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>[JB] Sorry Molly, but all I hear is cis-het men being scared of women but carry on.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>[MN] I know right!!\u00a0 And well, in 2009 Nicola had an accident, fell down the stairs and broke her back, which isn\u2019t great for anyone, but then went on to win a Silver Medal at the 2010 World Championships, and Gold at the London 2012 Games, the first year it was qualified as an Olympic sport. \u00a0Need I say more about how she is a strong woman?<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-528\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/155\/2021\/02\/Championships.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/155\/2021\/02\/Championships.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/155\/2021\/02\/Championships-300x188.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/155\/2021\/02\/Championships-1024x640.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/155\/2021\/02\/Championships-768x480.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/155\/2021\/02\/Championships-1536x960.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/155\/2021\/02\/Championships-344x215.jpeg 344w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>[JB] Comeback queen!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>[MN] Nicola is one determined, strong, and inspirational person that doesn\u2019t let gender, sexuality or race stop her from achieving what she wants. \u00a0She is an icon, an amazing human being and the perfect definition of an LGBTQ+ Queero of our times.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>\u201cI know there will be kids who are struggling. And I\u2019d just like them to know that it doesn\u2019t matter about your sexuality or what colour you are, you really can achieve anything you want to if you work hard.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Thank you for sharing this amazing story with us Molly.\u00a0 Nicola truly is an amazing person and your words about her life and experience are truly heartfelt.\u00a0 I hope this helps others in her situation, black, female, sport, LGBTQ+ or otherwise, to embrace their identity and have the strength the achieve their dreams and defy any negativity.\u00a0 May her legacy empower other Queeroes in the process.<\/p>\n<p>You can find out more about Nicola Adams and her amazing story by checking out her autobiography <em>Believe: Boxing, Olympics and my life outside the ring<\/em>.\u00a0 Nicola's documentary, <em>Lioness: The Nicola Adams Story,<\/em> is due to be released on May 17th this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Queeroes Series has run with amazing success and the feedback has been amazing thus far, thank you! So far we\u2019ve discovered the lives, stories and legacies of people who have made changes in law, politics, society and the world...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1549,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[29,19],"tags":[40,51,135,46,45,39,47,38,35,36,37,136,50,133,42,137,48,43,30,44,131,128,52,134,11,41,49],"class_list":["post-526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-28-days-of-queeros-queer-heros","category-lgbt-history","tag-bisexual","tag-body","tag-boxing","tag-diversity","tag-equality","tag-gay","tag-inclusion","tag-lesbian","tag-lgbtplushistorymonth","tag-lgbtq","tag-lgbtqia","tag-lioness","tag-mind","tag-nicola-adams","tag-nonbinary","tag-olympics","tag-pride","tag-queer","tag-queeroes","tag-questioning","tag-rupaul-drag-race","tag-singer","tag-spirit","tag-sports","tag-trans","tag-transgender","tag-wellbeing"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pd4Pwk-8u","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1549"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=526"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/kaleidoscope\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}