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Ellen DeGeneres hails Dutee Chand's courage, says she's 'proud' of the athlete

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: May 21, 2019, 06:57 PM IST
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Not just India, Chand has also gained admirers outside of the country. American chat-show host Ellen DeGeneres has also tweeted in support of Chand stating she is 'proud' of the athlete.

Sprinter Dutee Chand's coming out interview has been hailed as pathbreaking in India. Chand has also gained admirers outside of India. American chat-show host Ellen DeGeneres has also tweeted in support of Chand stating she is 'proud' of the athlete.

DeGeneres, who herself came out as a homosexual over two decades ago on national TV and is an LGBTQ activist, said in her tweet that Chand is a champion. DeGeneres has been a supporter of the LGBTQ community and used her show 'The Ellen Show' as a platform to voice issues concerning the community in the past. 

Quoting a news piece on Chand's coming out of the closet, DeGeneres tweeted, "She’s the 100m record holder and the first openly gay sportsperson in India. I guess she knows a thing or two about being first. I’m so proud of her. (sic)"

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In an interview to a newspaper, Chand revealed that she was in a same-sex relationship with a woman in her village in Odhisa. Chand stated that she got the courage to come out of the closet after India's top court scrapped a colonial-era ban on gay sex last year. 

"I have found someone who is my soulmate. I believe everyone should have the freedom to be with whoever they decide they want to be with," Chand said in the interview.