With the Olympics kicking off later today, Australia’s diving gold medal hopes will rest on debutant Matthew Mitcham’s shoulders as he competes in the men’s 10m platform in a fortnight’s time.

But regardless of Mitcham’s result, how will we remember him?

As a society, we are obsessed with the binary of ‘us’ versus ‘other’. Both the media and ourselves like to differentiate between things that are ‘like us’, that is what fits into the dominant ideology, and things that are not. For example someone is Islamic because they are not Australian. Someone is disabled because they are not ‘able’. Women are women because they are not men.

Homosexuals are homosexual because they are not heterosexual.

These groups which act as the ‘other’ within this binary, include individuals who feel as though they need to do more than what is generally expected from people just so they can be accepted.

From the outset, society has already labelled homosexuals as being different. Hence to overcome this exclusion, homosexuals feel the need to over-achieve so they are recognised for their talents rather than their sexuality.

Mitcham casually revealed he was a homosexual and that he had a partner of two years after a Sydney Morning Herald journalist asked who he lived with.

“I hadn’t planned it at all… It was just a question,” Mitcham told US LGBT Magazine The Advocate.

“I just want to be known as the Australian diver who did really well at the Olympics… It’s everyone else who thinks it’s special when homosexuality and elite sport go together.”

Judging by Mitcham’s comments, it is clear that as an athlete his homosexuality is not of paramount concern. All Mitcham is asking for is respect and equal treatment. Just like Kelly Osbourne and good looks.

Why was it then, that a single statement from Mitcham became front-page news?

Mitcham’s statement wasn’t about a war, rape, interest rates or petrol prices. So why was it so controversial?

Having an openly gay Australian athlete, especially one from the pool is controversial. It shakes up the archaic Australian view that all males, especially athletes, are masculine. Additionally, masculinity only comes with heterosexuality. Now we see how Mitcham’s situation does produce the conflict needed to make news.

The fact that internet blogs and international publications have picked up on this ‘news item’ and compared Australia’s infatuation with what constitutes a male athlete to America’s love for NFL, goes to show how widely known it is that Australia’s views are out of date, even more so than Peter Costello’s career.

Australian’s need a new way of thinking that is not immediately discriminatory. Without a doubt, this will take time.

How would you describe Ellen Degeneres or T.R Knight to someone who does not regularly interact with popular culture? Ellen Degeneres is the blond comedian who is about to marry Portia de Rossi and T.R Knight is they guy who Isaiah Washington called the ‘f word’ and consequently got fired. See what I mean by immediately discriminating difference?

Think. How are you going to remember Matthew Mitcham?