Pride Month: Shining the spotlight on our amazing LGBTQ+ record breakers
Happy Pride Month!
This June, we’re celebrating our iconic LGBTQ+ record breakers, who’ve broken barriers and smashed stereotypes while adding their names to the record books.
Whether they’ve got an incredible skill, a unique physical feature or an impressive collection of things, these record breakers all have one thing in common…
They’re proud to celebrate the thing that makes them stand out in a crowd.
When asked what being a record holder means to him, Rob Kearney, the first openly gay professional strongman, told us: “Being a part of the Guinness World Records family is honestly one of the absolute coolest things of my entire life.
“I’ve been able to be on TV lifting weights, running with cars, pressing logs, lifting Atlas stones, and just being an amazing strength athlete.
“But to now be officially recognized as the only and first openly gay professional strongman athlete really means the world to me because now I get to use my voice for even more good and be celebrated amongst the most amazing people on Earth.”
Lucy Clark (UK) is the first openly transgender football (soccer) referee.
Speaking of her experience coming out, she said: “You know, the fact there’s now only a couple of out gay footballers, so if nobody is coming out as being gay, somebody coming out as being transgender, it was scary.
“I held up who I was for many, many years, lived a double life for many, many years because I was worried how it would affect everybody else.
But you get one life so go live it, and live a great life.
Austin Head (USA) holds records for the most lunges in one hour (male) – 2,825 – and the farthest distance travelled by lunge in one hour – 3.45 km (2.14 mi).
He told us: “What Pride means to me is showing up and being exactly who I was meant to be and it’s also a reminder to be proud of the progress that I’ve made along the way.
“I’m so thankful to be a part of the diverse Guinness World Records family and the more I celebrate Pride the more I realize that family is chosen.”
Savvy Trapp-Blanchfield (USA), a member of the tallest family, who have an average height of 6 ft 8.03 in, is forever grateful to drag queens for giving her great shoes.
The world's tallest family with Savvy, second from right.
“God bless the drag queens,” she said. “This is the only way that I have high heels that fit me.
“I’m a women’s size 16, men’s size 15, so I would not have these opportunities for cute shoes if it wasn’t for the drag queens.”
Speaking of Pride, she added: “Pride is being able to be that person I didn’t have in my community growing up.
Don’t be afraid to stand tall and be your true self because if everyone is trying to be the same and conform and fit in, where’s the fun in that?
Married couple Sam Taylor and Sue Taylor-Franklin (UK) teamed up to smash the record for fastest 20 m A320 aircraft pull by a team of two (female) in just 37.63 seconds.
Sam also joined forces with Izzy Tait (UK) to perform the heaviest deadlift by a team of two (female) - 452.5 kg (997.59 lb).
Sam said: “Strongwomen definitely embrace this diversity and we would describe ourselves probably as all misfits who’ve come together in this crazy sport.
“So for me, being gay, it’s welcoming because it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who you are, it’s this little world that sort of welcomes you in. It’s a great community.”
Christie Chandler and Senecca Corsetti (both USA) hold the record for greatest height differential of a married couple (same sexes/women).
Married couple Christie and Senecca have a height difference of 2 ft 9.44 in.
Christie is 5 ft 11.74 in (182.22 cm) and Senecca is 3 ft 2.29 in (97.28 cm) tall, meaning they have a height difference of 2 ft 9.44 in (84.94 cm).
Christie said in an interview with us: “If someone would have told me about 20 years ago that my spouse would be 3 ft 2 in I would have said, ‘Yeah, right’.”
“She wanted tall, dark and handsome,” Senecca joked. “And she got this.”
Offering some advice, Christie said: “I think the sooner you are authentic with who you are rather than what society says is right, the happier you’re going to be.”
Erin Honeycutt (USA) has the longest beard on a living person (female), one that’s 30 cm (11.81 in) long.
Erin having her beard measured.
Erin’s beard growth is caused by polycystic ovary syndrome. She’s also partially sighted and has one leg.
Her wife Jen said: “We do get looks and she can’t see them so it doesn’t really bother her.
“It does bother me ‘cause we deserve to be able to go out and not have anyone judge us for who we are.”
Guinness World Records Official Adjudicator Michael Empric also shared his thoughts with us last year.
Michael adjudicating a record attempt.
He said at the time: “I think Pride is important because it’s all about celebrating a community who for so many years had to really hide themselves.
I think one of the best things you can do is to be honest with yourself, to be truthful to yourself and to live in that moment.
“For so many years, the LGBTQ+ community had to really hide and pretend that they weren’t who they truly were and it’s exciting to see that as Pride has spread and grown that we’re able to really celebrate those differences and the things we have in common with everyone else.”
Some other records from our amazing LGBTQ+ stars:
• Longest feather boa - 1,919.50 m (6,297 ft 6 in), achieved by Ripley's Believe It or Not! Times Square and Madame Tussauds New York (both USA)
• Most people attending a drag brunch – 412, achieved by H&M, Marsha P. Johnson Institute and Gayletter (all USA)
• Largest pride charity run - 10,238 people, achieved by Front Runners New York and New York Road Runners (both USA)
• Largest donation of hair care products in 24 hrs - 20,000 items, achieved by Jesseca Harris-Dupart and Kaleidoscope Hair Products Global LLC (both USA)
• Largest collection of Christmas brooches - 7,929, achieved by Adam Wide (UK)
• Largest collection of Dalmatian-related items - 1,152, achieved by Scott Erbele (USA)
• Most weight lifted by Atlas stone lifts in one minute (female) - 720 kg (1,587.33 lb), achieved by Jemma Stubbs (UK)