The gays? We’ve won again.
When Tom Daley’s recent cover drop hit Instagram like a rhinestoned bombshell, the collective gasp of queer admiration could’ve powered a glitter-powered rocket to Saturn. Gone are the Speedos and chlorine-soaked medals — in their place? Couture, confidence, and a steaming hot cover.
The post in question features Daley not as the Olympian we once knew, but as a vision of post-sport renaissance. Styled to the heavens and posed like he just sauntered out of a Vogue-meets-Versace fever dream, this is the queer evolution we love to see. And in his own words?
“I can’t imagine myself going back to the diving pool, to be honest,” Daley confesses. “There are many other things that I’m really excited about doing and being a part of.”
Let’s unpack. Because this is not just a thirst trap (though… we thirst). This is a moment. A man who once stood on the world’s stage soaked in pool water is now soaked in self-possession. And knitwear.
This cover is queer excellence on multiple levels. It’s an ode to transition — not gendered, but personal. From Olympic pools to parenting, from sportswear to designer threads, from “Is he?” to “He is, and thriving, sweetie.”
It’s also deeply relatable for a queer audience. So many of us know what it means to evolve — to shed skins, find softer fabrics, and curate a life that finally feels like home. Tom’s embrace of the fashion world, his clear joy in fatherhood, and his thriving queer brand all speak to that transformation. This isn’t just about representation. It’s about liberation.
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And while we laugh, cry, and aggressively double-tap, let’s also honor the broader arc here. Daley isn’t just an out gay man succeeding; he’s doing it with elegance, heart, and a damn good cardigan. He’s proof that queerness isn’t a side note to success — it is the success. It’s the flavor, the fuel, the full story.
So thank you, Tom — for leaving the pool, picking up the yarn, and showing us that life after gold medals can still be golden.
And to the rest of us: may our post-closet eras be this iconic.
Tom’s body is on point but even with two kids, he’s not a ‘daddy’ and even when his starts to show gray and if he grow a beard or goatee, he still won’t likely ever veer into that territory. And while he is an attractive guy and I definitely wish him all the best in his post athletic endeavors, at his height, modeling clothes, particularly modern fashion, isn’t really for him. Someone bone thin like Timothee or Troye might pull some of these looks off, but not Tom, although that chocolate brown “career girl” outfit with man purse was not too bad.