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Jakub Jankto Becomes 1st Active International Soccer
Player to Come Out As Gay
Carl Nassib Confirms Olympic Swimmer Søren Dahl Is His
Boyfriend
Former MLB Star TJ House Comes Out As Gay
WNBA Star Brittney Griner Freed From Russian Prison
2022 Out100 Honorees Changing the Game in Sports
Professional Men's Soccer Players Who Have Come Out
Basketball Icon Sue Bird Plays Her Last Game in the WNBA
Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe: Gay Sports
Power Couple
WNBA Great Sue Bird Retires After Emotional Farewell
Brittney Griner Convicted in Russia Over Drug Charges
Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe Receives Presidential Medal of
Freedom

Best LGBTQ Pro Wrestlers of 2022
Out Gay Dancer: Making History with the
Celtics
Charlie Martin: Transgender Auto Racer
Olympic Swimmer Daniel Jervis Reflects on Coming Out
Out WNBA Star Brittney Griner: Imprisoned in Russia and
Pleads for Biden's Help
NBA’s Charles Barkley: If You’re Gay and
Transgender, I Love You!
Spain’s First Trans Footballer Alba
Palacios: She’s So Much Happier Since Coming Out
International Rugby League Bans Trans
Athletes: FIFA & World Athletics Likely to Follow

LGBTQ
People in Sports
In recent years, the complex intersection of sports
culture, homophobia, transphobia, and LGBTQ athletes has
become a hot topic among sports fans and in sports
media. Anti-LGBTQ comments by athletes and coaches,
speculation about athletes' sexual orientations, and the
coming out stories of Olympic medalists Tom Daley and
Caitlyn Jenner, former NFL player Michael Sam, former
NBA player Jason Collins, Puerto Rican boxer Orlando
Cruz, soccer player Robbie Rogers, Welsh rugby player
Gareth Thomas, U.S. Olympic soccer player Megan Rapinoe,
and others have sparked national dialogue on these
issues. Competitors in sports like tennis, diving, and
skating, such as Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King,
Greg Louganis, and Johnny Weir, have led the way as
LGBTQ athletes have become spokespeople on issues the
community faces.
Professional
sports are more accepting than ever
Many coaches, managers,
and players are becoming aware that they probably have
people who identify as LGBTQ on their teams, and many
are taking steps to educate themselves and create a more
welcoming environment for LGBTQ athletes. Outspoken
allies in the athletic community like Ben Cohen, Brian
Burke, and Hudson Taylor have formed non-profit groups
like the StandUp Foundation, the You Can Play Project,
and Athlete Ally respectively to show their support for
LGBTQ athletes and inclusive professional sports teams.
Hundreds of professional athletes have appeared in "You
Can Play" or "It Gets Better" PSAs to express public
support for LGBTQ teammates and fans.
The corporate owners of many teams are following the
lead of their business counterparts and showing official
support for the LGBTQ community. The professional
leagues are actively working to educate and inform their
employees and players about LGBTQ issues, including at
the rookie symposia for the NHL, NFL, and NBA. In July
2014, MLB appointed Billy Bean, a former player who is
now openly gay, as a consultant in guiding the sports
community toward full LGBTQ inclusion.
However, some sports professionals still publicly say
there are no LGBTQ people on their team, and enforce a
negative work environment through locker room jokes and
innuendoes, usually directed toward gay men. In women's
collegiate sports, negative recruiting – where coaches
use anti-LGBTQ messages to deter potential recruits from
attending a rival school – is a common problem. As a
result, the majority of LGBTQ athletes remain closeted
due to a system of institutionalized intimidation and
discrimination.

Allowing
players to play
While LGBTQ athletes
playing at the professional level is still relatively
new and an important step forward in dismantling
stereotypes about LGBTQ people – it is also important to
acknowledge that any athlete's first and most important
role is simply to play and excel at their sport. In an
ideal world, an LGBTQ NFL or NBA player will be allowed
to play without constantly being asked to comment on
LGBTQ issues.
Kelly Holmes: Fear of Being Outed
These Male Pro-Sports Cheerleaders Have us Shouting
Gooooo Team!
Rugby League Bans Trans Women from International Matches
Until Further Research
Steelers: World's First Gay Rugby Club
Katie Sowers: Expanding
LGBTQ Visibility on the Field
Cover of ESPN Body Issue: First Gay Couple
Super Bowl News: First Female and Openly Gay NFL
Assistant Coach
Inspiring Message From Gay Athletes
Dennis Rodman: 10-20% of Pro Athletes Are Gay
Highlighting
players from every level of sport
Typically, there is a
strong focus on professional and Olympic athletes, but
players at every level of performance are coming out in
large numbers. Let's also focus on stories of athletes
at the high school and college level who want to share
their experiences as LGBTQ people. Stories like bisexual
college football kicker Conner Mertens and transgender
high school coach Stephen Alexander have the potential
to illustrate people in local communities are also
accepting LGBTQ players and coaches.
 
Covering all
sides of the issues
When covering the issue
of LGBTQ athletes in sports, we need to expand focus
beyond those who claim that team sports are not able to
deal with LGBTQ athletes. Sports journalists, coaches,
managers, and athletes sometimes claim it would be
impossible for an LGBTQ athlete to play openly in team
sports. Journalists sometimes contribute to this fallacy
by constantly framing their questions around the
negative, difficult consequences of a player choosing to
come out. When reporting on the topic, journalists
should consider seeking out other voices in the sports
world who would challenge the merits of this opinion. As
more players come out, they will be able to speak about
the positive responses they've received, and the
benefits of being able to play without the fear of
losing their job or feeling ashamed because they are
LGBTQ.
News outlets need to treat anti-LGBTQ comments from
professional athletes, managers, and coaches as you
would similar remarks by other public figures. Just as
anti-LGBTQ epithets would receive extensive negative
coverage if uttered by an elected official or a
Hollywood celebrity, antipathy toward LGBTQ people by
sports figures should also be examined and discussed in
its larger context of fueling a climate of hate and
discrimination.
Kumi Yokoyuma, Japanese Soccer Player, Comes Out as
Trans
Coming Out in Sports
Born to Play: Boston
Renegades Women's Football Team
Is America Ready for Openly Gay Athletes?
Top WNBA Lesbian Basketball Players
LGBTQ Sports Panel: Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe
PBS Video: Non-Binary Inclusion in Sports
Out Sports

Transgender
athletes face uninformed opposition
Public and media reaction
to a transgender person - particularly a transgender
woman - competing in a sport is often extremely negative
and uninformed by scientific fact. Commentators often
espouse their "gut feelings" about whether or not a
transgender person has an "unfair advantage." Gut
feelings are not science. Sport governing organizations
like the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the
National College Athletics Associate (NCAA), as well as
the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF), have looked at the
actual science associated with medical transition and
made clear statements in support of the right of
transgender athletes to participate in a way that is
fair, equitable, and respectful to all.
[Source: GLAAD Sports Media Guide]
Former MLB Star TJ House Comes Out As Gay
WNBA Star Brittney Griner Freed From Russian Prison
2022 Out100 Honorees Changing the Game in Sports
Professional Men's Soccer Players Who Have Come Out
List: LGBTQ People in Sports Who Came Out Publicly
LGBTQ Athletes are Fighting For Equality On and Off the
Field
Out Athletes Who Have Made Headlines
List of LGBTQ Athletes

Famous LGBTQ Athletes
Martina Navratilova - US Tennis Player
Greg Louganis - US Olympic Swimmer
Billie Jean King - US Tennis Player
Megan Rapinoe - US Women's Soccer Player
Sue Bird - US WNBA
Basketball Player
Erica Sullivan - US
Olympic Swimmer
Michael Sam - US NFL Football Player
Sheryl Swoopes - US WNBA Basketball Player
Esera Tuaolo - US NFL Football Player
Brian Boitano – US Olympic Skater
Mark
Bingham - US Rugby Player, Sept 11 Hero
John Amaechi - US NBA Basketball Player
Jason Collins - US NBA Basketball Player
Gus
Kenworthy - US Olympic Skier
Derrick
Gordon - US College Basketball Player
Johnny
Weir - US Figure Skater
Katie
Sowers - US NFL Football Coach
Brittany
Griner - US WNBA Basketball Player
Jakub Jankto - Czech Soccer Player
Campbell Johnstone -
New Zealand Rugby Player
Daniel Jervis -
British Olympic Swimmer
Anderson Comas - US
MiLB Baseball Pitcher
TJ House - US MLB
Baseball Player
Kelly Holmes -
British Olympic Runner
Issac Humphries -
Australian Basketball Player
Breezy Johnson - US
Olympic Skier
Zach Herrin - Race
Car Driver
Jack Jablonski - US
Hockey Player
Denis
Finnegan - USA Track & Field Champ
Carl Nassib - US NFL
Football Player
Sonya
Deville- WWE Wrestler
Candace Parker - US WNBA Basketball Player
Charlie Martin - US
Transgender Auto Racer
Corey Walsh - BMX
Ride
Alba
Palacios - Soccer Player, Spain
Daria
Kasatkina - Russian Tennis Player
Maybelle
Blair - All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Mike
Beuttler - British Formula One Racecar Driver
Bryan Ruby - US
Baseball Player
Thomas Beattie -
International Soccer Player
Martha McCabe -
Canadian Olympic Swimmer
Laurel Hubbard -
Olympic Weightlifter
Kumi Yokoyuma -
Japanese Soccer Player
Nikki Hiltz - US Runner
Glenn Burke - US MLB Baseball Player
Diana Nyad - US Swimmer
WNBA Star Breanna Stewart and Wife Welcome First Child
Olympic Diver Tom Daley: Trials of Being a Gay Dad
Football Players Who Came Out of the
Closet
Gay Athletes Who Are Out And Proud
LGBTQ Out Athletes You Should Know About
Queer People in Sports
Famous Lesbian Athletes
LGBTQ Inclusion in Sports
Caitlyn Jenner - US Olympic
Decathalon Gold
Medalist
Adam Rippon - US Olympic Skater
Ray Saunders -
Olympian Shot Put
Pat
Patterson- WWE Wrestler
Quinn - Canadian
Soccer Player
Clay Davies - British
Cyclist
Rolando Perez (Miami Ice) - US Pro Wrestler
Josh
Cavallo - Australian Soccer Player
Sazzy
Boatright - US Pro Wrestler
Irma Testa
- Italian Olympic Boxer
Ryan
Deluca - US College Football Player
Jolanta
Ogar-Hill - Polish Olympic Sailor
Chris
Dickerson - US Body Builder
Dave
Marshall - Australian Wrestler
Lia Thomas
- US Transgender Swimmer
Jason
Brown - Olympic Skater
Max Zero -
WWE Wrestler
Solomon
Bates - US Baseball Player
Ron
Kearney - Strongman
Jake
Daniels - British Soccer Player
Jack Dunne - Irish Soccer Player
Luke Prokop - US
Hockey Player
Iker
Casillas - Spanish Soccer Player
Byron
Perkins - First Out Gay HBCU Football Player

Major League Baseball Embraces LGBTQ Pride
Mexican Soccer Team Asking
Fans to Halt Homophobic Chants at Games
27 Athletes Who Have Come Out of the Closet
Pro Wrestlers Who are
Members of the LGBTQ Community
Dieux Du Stade: Gods of the Stadium
Out Gay Athletes
Women's Sports: More Gay Friendly
ESPN's Brief History of Gay Athletes
Hig Roberts - World
Cup Alpine Skier
Billy Bean -
MLB Sr VP of Diversity
Glenn
Burke - US Baseball Player
Kaitlyn Weaver - US Olympic Dancer
Ian Roberts - US Rugby Player
Orlando Cruz - Puerto Rican Boxer
Elena
Delle Donne - US WNBA Basketball Player
Tom Daily - British Olympic Diver
Abby Wambach – US Olympic Soccer Player
Ryan Russell - US NFL Football Player
Justin
Fashanu - US Soccer Player
Belle Brockhoff - US Olympic Snowboarder
Jeff Rohrer - US NFL Football Player
Will Sheridan - US College Basketball Player
Elena Delle Donne – US Olympic Basketball Player
Jackie
Walker - All-American Football Linebacker
Tom Waddell – US Olympic Decathlete, Founder of Gay
Games
Rick Welts - Former
President of Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors
LGBTQ
Sports News
95-year-old ‘A League of Their Own’ Inspiration Maybelle
Blair Comes Out as Gay
Lia Thomas: First Transgender Woman to Win NCAA
Championship
Olympic Athletes That Identify as LGBTQ
Photos of LGBTQ Olympians Biting and Kissing Their
Medals
Stories from Queer Figure Skaters in Their Own Words
Jason Brown's Emotional Free Skate to Schindler's List
Score at Beijing Olympics
Video: Jason Brown's Free Skate at Beijing Olympics
LeDuc Becomes 1st Openly Nonbinary US Winter Games
Athlete
Olympic Figure Skater Adam Rippon Just Got Married
Carl Nassib Posted Adorable Boyfriend Pic
Out Former NFL Player Michael Sam to
Coach European Team
Why I'm Proud to Support Trans Athletes like Lia Thomas
WNBA Star Candace Parker and Wife Anna
Petrakova Welcome Baby Boy
Stylish and Sexy Picks to Look Your Best
for Gay Ski Week
WNBA Star Candace Parker Is Married and
Expecting a Baby with Wife
Polish Athlete and Her Wife Welcome Child's Birth
Olympic Medal-Winning Boxer Irma Testa
Comes Out
NFL Designer of Super Bowl LVI Logo Comes
Out as Trans
All-Transgender Hockey Team Takes the Ice in Wisconsin
International Olympic Committee Issues
New Guidelines on Transgender Athletes
Carl Nassib and
Søren Dahl
After months of speculation, we finally know. 2023 is
already a great year for Carl Nassib and his boyfriend
Søren Dahl. In an Instagram Story, Tampa Bay
Buccaneers linebacker Nassib posted a picture of himself
with his arm around former Olympic swimmer Dahl, who is
adorably wearing a Nassib jersey. The NFL star wrote in
the caption: “Kicking off 2023 with my man and a
trip to the playoffs.”
Not only has Nassib found love, but he’s also returning
to the playoffs after he became the first out NFL player
to play in a playoff game in 2022 while signed to the
Las Vegas Raiders. Nassib’s team, the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers, recently won the NFC South title after
defeating the Panthers 30-24. Led by veteran
all-time-great quarterback Tom Brady, the Bucs have a
good shot to make it far in this year’s playoffs.

What makes the playoff run even better is Nassib having
Dahl by his side along the way. Throughout 2022,
Nassib started posting pictures with Dahl on social
media, with fans identifying him as a Danish swimmer who
competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Initially, the two
posted pics of each other hanging out together on the
beach, in a club, and at the gym. This led to new
speculation about the two athletes.
Rumors got even stronger in November when Dahl shared an
Instagram Story of him and Nassib that read “Weekend
11/10” and a heart emoji. Nassib then re-shared the
story to his own Instagram Stories. Nassib is famously
private about his personal life, so this new post where
he calls Dahl “my man” is the first time we can confirm
that the two are actually more than just friends.
Dahl, and all of us, will be cheering on Nassib as he
and the Buccaneers advance to the playoffs, which are
scheduled to begin in January 2023.
[Source: Mey Rude, Out Magazine, January 2023]
Carl Nassib Confirms Olympic Swimmer Søren Dahl Is His
Boyfriend
Carl Nassib Posted Adorable Boyfriend Pic
Carl Nassib: First Active NFL Player to Come Out as
Gay
Kelly Holmes:
Fear of Being Outed
Olympic gold medalist reveals fears of court martial
in army and toll on her mental health as she lifts
34-year public silence
British
runner Kelly Holmes has spoken about the struggle of
dating in the closet, both throughout her military
career and as a high-profile Olympian. The 52-year-old
athlete opened up in a recent interview, explaining how
she would convince herself a potential partner wasn’t
right for her, because she feared they would want to be
public with the relationship.
She shared: “I would circumstantially meet people
through friends and convince myself they’re right as I
didn’t want to be lonely. And then I would think: Nah,
no way. I would think if I got too attached they would
want us to go public." The medal winner came out
as a lesbian in June 2022, and has spoken since about
how she feels “free” since coming out, and “embracing
the gay”.

She said, “This journey has been the hardest part of
life. Living with any kind of fear is debilitating.
Being here everyday but not fully living every day.
I have lived in fear for 34 years and I am exhausted and
don’t want to anymore." She now has a long term
partner, but prefers to keep her relationship out of the
spotlight. She has made a documentary, titled
‘Kelly Holmes: Being Me’, exploring her experiences as a
closeted gay woman.
Before her Olympic career, Kelly was in the military.
During the documentary’s making, she spoke to a number
of LGBTQ servicepeople, and said she was “gobsmacked”
about how attitudes in the institution have changed
since she left to pursue athletics full-time. Pre-2000,
LGBTQ people serving in British Military were not
allowed to be open about their sexuality or transgender
identity. They would be discharged and subject to court
martial if discovered.
She described the fear she had about her sexuality being
found out, especially with Royal Military Police raiding
barracks. “They pulled everything out of your
cupboard, turned out the beds and drawers, read letters
– everything – trying to catch us out,” she said. Kelly
continued: “It’s humiliating, it’s degrading – it feels
disrespectful when you’re serving your country and
you’re doing a good job. You feel violated, treated like
you’re some massive villain.”

During her Olympic career, she struggled with her mental
health, and still didn’t feel able to come out.
“I’d think, ‘No one talks about it in the sport, how do
I suddenly say I’m gay? I can’t because I’m admitting
that I broke the law in the Army’,” she stated.
She has since taken part in a campaign encouraging LGBTQ
military veterans to give evidence in a Parliamentary
review of homophobia in the armed forces prior to 2000.
[Source: Dean McColl, Gay Times, 2022]
Kelly Holmes: Biographical Notes
Kelly Holmes: Comes Out as Gay After 34 Years
Kelly Holmes Comes Out as Gay
TV Interview: Who is Dame Kelly Holmes?
Lesbian Love in
the Athletic Arena
We are all familiar with the sports star couple of Sue
Bird and Megan Rapinoe. And US soccer stars Ali
Krieger and Ashlyn Harris. And lately we've learned a
lot about Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson. There are
actually several such couples, especially among WNBA
athletes.
Sue Bird
and Megan Rapinoe
Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson
Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris
Jasmine Thomas and Natisha Hiedeman
Andrea Mingo and Danielle Robinson
Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner
Aerial Powers and AzuréRae Turner
Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley
Breanna Stewart and Marta Xargay
Chelsea Gray and Tipesa Mercedes
Elena Delle Donne and Amanda Clifton

Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson
The
Russian government has wrongfully detained Brittany
Griner and she and her wife are currently apart from
each other. Brittany Griner, the 6-foot-8 center for the
Phoenix Mercury, is one of the most decorated female
college basketball players in history. She is the
league’s top shot blocker and averaged 15.6 points last
season, leading the Mercury to their third WNBA
championship. Ms. Johnson, a 6-foot-3 forward for the
Tulsa Shock, is a two-time WNBA All-Star and the
league’s third-ranked rebounder, averaging 14.7 points
last season. Ms. Griner said she has admired Ms. Johnson
since they were college rivals (Ms. Griner at Baylor and
Ms. Johnson at Tennessee) but “didn’t have the nerve to
flirt with her.” When they both attended a 2013 USA
Basketball training camp together in Las Vegas, Ms.
Griner flirted like crazy.
Andrea Mingo and Danielle Robinson
Women’s basketball stars Andrea Mingo and Danielle
Robinson (of the Indiana Fever) got married.
Stunning photos of the women in suits were posted. Syd
Colson of the Las Vegas Aces officiated the ceremony in
a sparkly tux, and is now, of course, calling herself
“Reverend.”

Julie Shaw and Erica Ferguson
Dr. Julie Shaw and Erica Ferguson went viral when they
posted a photo from their wedding of the two of them
playing basketball on the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s an
incredible photo, and their love story is just as
incredible. Both former basketball coaches, Julie now
has a Southern California-based photo booth business,
Champion Photo Booths, and is working to launch the Soul
of Sport. Erica is an executive coach (Julie describes
her as a “dream coach” who works to help people reach
their goals).
Chelsea
Gray and Tipesa Moorer
When many WNBA players were playing overseas following
the end of the basketball season, the Los Angeles
Sparks’ Chelsea Gray stayed home. And not just to spend
the off-season with USA Basketball’s college tour, but
for her all-star wedding. Her wife, Tipesa Mercedes
Moorer, is also a native Californian and basketball
player, who played forward on the women’s basketball
team at California State University Long Beach. Moorer
said of Gray’s WNBA career, "I admire her drive to be
better, her accountability in every failure, and her
desire to prove why she’s one of the best. So when you
see me acting crazy on the sidelines and cussing out the
refs (rightfully so) understand that I’ll always be an
advocate for her goals (and fouls), a fan in all her
success, and passionate about her passions."
WNBA Players Who Are Married to Each Other
Our Favorite WNBA Couples
Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson: Complicated Match
Made on the Hardwood
WNBA Player Chelsea Gray Marries Girlfriend
This Lesbian Basketball Wedding Is the Love Story You
Need Today
Brooklyn Bridge Basketball Wedding
Lia Thomas:
First Transgender Woman to Win NCAA Championship
Lia Thomas
became the first out transgender athlete to win an NCAA
Division I title after finishing first place in the
women's 500-yard freestyle swim event. She took control
in the final 100 yards to make history as the first
trans woman to win an NCAA swimming championship.
Thomas, the University of Pennsylvania senior who
entered the NCAA women’s swimming and diving
championships as the top seed, had a season-best time of
4 minutes, 33.24 seconds. “I didn’t have a whole lot of
expectation for this meet,” said Thomas, a former male
swimmer for Penn State. “I was just happy to be here and
race and compete the best I could.”

Virginia’s
Emma Weyant was second at 4:34.99. The race was
close until the final 100 yards, with Weyant and Erica
Sullivan of Texas pushing Thomas for the lead. The three
swam in lanes three through five, adding to the drama,
with Thomas in the middle.
Thomas has followed NCAA and Ivy League rules since she
began her transition in 2019 by starting hormone
replacement therapy. The inclusion of the transgender
swimmer created controversy, even within the sport.
There were fewer than 10 protesters outside the Georgia
Tech facility, and some carried banners which read “Save
Women’s Sports” in the stands. “I try to ignore it
as much as I can,” Thomas said. “I try to focus on my
swimming .. and just try to block out everything else.”
Thomas spoke with ESPN immediately after the race but
would not participate in the official news conference,
as required by the NCAA. Since participation is
required, possible action could come following
evaluation by the NCAA’s swimming and diving
championships committee.
[Source: Associated Press, March 2022]
Lia Thomas: First Transgender Woman to Win NCAA
Championship
Transgender Swimmer Lia Thomas Competes
For NCAA Championship
Swimmer Lia Thomas Becomes First Out Trans Athlete to
Win Division I National Championship
Lia Thomas, Penn Swimmer, Becomes First Out Trans
Athlete to Win Division I National Title
Swimmer Lia Thomas Becomes First Transgender Athlete to
Win NCAA D-I Title
Penn Swimmer Lia Thomas Becomes First Trans Athlete to
Win Division I National Title
LGBTQ Olympic
Athletes at 2022
Bejing Winter Games
Beijing is
hosting the XXIV Olympic Winter Games, February 2022,
and it’s not just COVID complicating China’s plans for a
seamless event. Numerous countries, including the United
States, have announced a diplomatic boycott of the games
(a move that keeps those countries’ government officials
from attending), mainly because of China’s alleged
abuses against the Uighurs and other predominantly
Muslim ethnic minorities in the northwest part of the
nation. Additionally, the Chinese government continues
to vilify its LGBTQ citizens, going so far as to ban
“sissy men” from TV last year. Even if most Chinese
athletes are forced to compete in the closet, numerous
queer athletes from around the world will represent
their countries (and the LGBTQ community) at the Games.
There are at least 35 openly LGBTQ athletes competing at
the Beijing 2022 Games, more than double the number at
PyeongChang, South Korea, in 2018 (15) and five times
the number at Sochi, Russia, in 2014 (7).
The athletes (representing 15 countries) will compete in
nine different sports, including ice hockey (12), figure
skating (10), skeleton (3), skiing (3) and snowboarding
(2).
With at least seven out players, Canada’s women’s ice
hockey team is sending more openly LGBTQ athletes to
Beijing than any other country is for its total
delegation (it is also sending two out figure skaters
and one biathlete), with the US (6) and Great Britain
(4) sending the second and third most, respectively.

Figure Skating
Filippo Ambrosini (Italy)
Kevin Aymoz (France)
Jason Brown (USA)
Guillaume Cizeron (France)
Lewis Gibson (Great Britain)
Amber Glenn (USA, reserve)
Timothy LeDuc (USA)
Paul Poirier (Canada)
Simon Proulx Sénécal (Armenia)
Eric Radford (Canada)
Ice Hockey
Brianne Jenner (Canada)
Erin Ambrose (Canada)
Ebba Berglund (Sweden)
Alex Carpenter (USA)
Emily Clark (Canada)
Mélodie Daoust (Canada)
Anna Kjellbin (Sweden)
Aneta Lédlová (Czech Republic)
Jamie Lee Rattray (Canada)
Jill Saulnier (Canada)
Ronja Savolainen (Finland)
Micah Zandee-Hart (Canada)
 |
Biathlon
Megan Bankes (Canada)
Curling
Bruce Mouat (Great Britain)
Skeleton
Andrew Blaser (USA)
Kim Meylemans (Belgium)
Nicole Silveira (Brazil)
Ski Jumping
Daniela Iraschko-Stolz (Austria)
Skiing
Makayla Gerken Schofield (Great Britain)
Gus Kenworthy (Great Britain)
Sandra Naeslund (Sweden)
Snowboarding
Belle Brockhoff (Australia)
Sarka Pancochova (Czech Republic)
Speedskating
Brittany Bowe (USA)
Ireen Wüst (Netherlands)
 |
Olympic Athletes That Identify as LGBTQ
These LGBTQ Athletes and Coaches Are Heating Up the
Games in Beijing
Record Numbers Of Openly LGBTQ Athletes Compete At
Beijing 2022
At least 35 Out LGBTQ athletes in Beijing Winter
Olympics
Notable LGBTQ Olympians Competing in the 2022 Winter
Olympics
LeDuc to Become 1st Openly Nonbinary US Winter Games
Athlete
Olympic Figure Skater Adam Rippon Just Got Married
Olympic Figure
Skater Adam Rippon Just Got Married
Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon finally got his gold.
Rippon secretly tied the knot with fiancé Jussi-Pekka
Kajaala on New Year's Eve in Los Angeles, and the couple
are now opening up about their special day. "I think
everybody knew that we were going to do it, and I think
nobody knew if we were going to give them a heads up or
not. And I guess we didn't even know if we were giving
ourselves a heads up," said Rippon. Adding, "Listen,
we're unpredictable."
Unpredictable, indeed! Since appearing on "Dancing with
the Stars," Rippon has turned into somewhat of a TV
personality, while his Finnish fiancé Kajaala is a real
estate broker.

As for the
ceremony, Rippon and Kajaala agreed that they wanted
logical and cheap.
"We always wanted to do something simple, and just the
two of us," says Rippon. "And so we were looking at
different options of what we could do, and so obviously
when you do that, the next best thing that you can do is
you reach out to California marriage officiant Maria and
you ask Maria: 'When is her next availability for a
wedding?' And she goes, 'I have availability this week,
but I also have something today.' And so then I said,
'Listen, Maria, we're on our way. We're going to be
there for the one o'clock appointment in Encino,
California, the happiest place on earth.'"
The athlete also took to Instagram to share the news,
posting a photo of himself and his new husband along
with their dog Tony. He captioned the picture:
"Surprise! We are Married! One afternoon JP and I looked
at each other and said the very classic romantic phrase
of
let's just go do it now.
So we did."
Kajaala, sharing the same pic on his account, added: "We
are married!! the video is from the actual wedding day.
It was just the three of us and a simple ceremony.
Exactly what we wanted. Tony has two happy dads."
[Source:
by Emell Adolphus, Edge Media Network, January 2022]
Olympic Figure Skater Adam Rippon Just Got Married
Carl Nassib Posted Adorable Boyfriend Pic
List: Record Number of Out LGBTQ Athletes at Tokyo
Summer Olympics
LGBTQ Athletes Won 57 Medals at Tokyo Olympics
Over 30 LGBTQ Athletes Win Medals at Tokyo Olympics
Erica Sullivan: Witty, Charming, and Gay
LGBTQ Boxer Nesthy Petecio Wins Olympic Medal
Brief History of LGBTQ
Olympians
Olympic Athletes: Out and Proud
Flaming Gay Ray Saunders
Wins Silver Medal for Shot Put
Carl Nassib: First Active NFL Player to Come Out as
Gay
Proud to Play

LGBTQ
Sports News
Erica Sullivan: Witty, Charming, and Gay
LGBTQ Boxer Nesthy Petecio Wins Olympic Medal
Spain’s First Trans Footballer Alba
Palacios: She’s So Much Happier Since Coming Out
Brief History of LGBTQ
Olympians
Olympic Athletes: Out and Proud
Flaming Gay Ray Saunders
Wins Silver Medal for Shot Put
Carl Nassib: First Active NFL Player to Come Out as
Gay
Proud to Play
Steelers: World's First Gay Rugby Club
Stylish and Sexy Picks to Look Your Best
for Gay Ski Week
WNBA Star Candace Parker Is Married and
Expecting a Baby with Wife
Polish Athlete and Her Wife Welcome Child's Birth
Olympic Medal-Winning Boxer Irma Testa
Comes Out
NFL Designer of Super Bowl LVI Logo Comes
Out as Trans
All-Transgender Hockey Team Takes the Ice in Wisconsin
International Olympic Committee Issues
New Guidelines on Transgender Athletes
WNBA Star Breanna Stewart and Wife Welcome First Child
Olympic Diver Tom Daley: Trials of Being a Gay Dad
Football Players Who Came Out of the
Closet
Dieux Du Stade: Gods of the Stadium
Major League Baseball Embraces LGBTQ Pride
Mexican Soccer Team Asking
Fans to Halt Homophobic Chants at Games
Gay Race Car Driver Zach Herrin Makes
NASCAR Debut
Record Number of
Out LGBTQ Athletes at Tokyo Summer Olympics
At least 168 publicly out gay, lesbian, bisexual,
transgender, queer and nonbinary athletes are headed to
Tokyo for the Summer Olympic Games, more than triple the
number who participated at the 2016 Rio Games.
The number of publicly out LGBTQ athletes in Tokyo is
also greater than the number athletes who have
participated in all of the previous Olympic Games
(Summer and Winter) combined while publicly out. The
massive increase in the number of out athletes reflects
the growing acceptance of LGBTQ people in sports and
society. The rise of social media, especially Instagram,
has given athletes a forum where they can live their
lives openly and identify directly with their followers.

In contrast, Outsports counted 23 publicly out Olympians
in 2012 and 56 in 2016 at those Summer Games. “Competing
at the Olympics as an openly gay athlete is pretty
amazing,” Canadian swimmer Markus Thormeyer told
Outsports. Thormeyer was not out when he competed at the
2016 Rio Olympics and came out publicly as gay in a 2020
essay for Outsports. “Being able to compete with the
best in the world as my most authentic self at the
biggest international multi-sport games shows how far
we’ve come on inclusion in sport. I’m hoping that by
competing at these Games I can show the LGBTQ community
that we do belong and we can achieve anything we put our
minds to.”
His comments were echoed by Elissa Alarie, a Canadian
rugby player. We originally did not have Alarie on our
list, but she contacted us and told us she was LGBTQ
(she also gave us the names of three out teammates whom
we also added). “Growing up in a small French town in
Quebec, I didn’t know or even know of a single LGBTQ
person or athlete until I was older,” Alarie said. “I
hope the increased visibility can give young people a
sentiment of belonging and encourage communities to be
inclusive and welcoming.”

This year at least 27 different countries will be
represented by at least one publicly out athlete in 30
sports, including the first trans Olympians. The United
States has the most out athletes at these Olympics, with
the more than 30 out athletes we know of about a fifth
of all the attendees on the list. Team USA is currently
followed in the number of publicly out LGBTQ athletes by
Canada (17), Britain (16), Netherlands (16), Brazil
(14), Australia (12) and New Zealand (10). We will
update the numbers as we learn more about the current
Olympic athletes. These numbers include reserve athletes
who have been practicing with the team and are traveling
to Tokyo with the team.
Women on the list outnumber men by about a 8-1 margin,
with women’s soccer having more than 40 out players.
This continues a trend seen at past Olympics and is
reflective of out athletes in elite non-Olympic sports
where women also proliferate.
[Source: Outsports, July 2021]
Outsports: Record Number of Out LGBTQ Athletes at Tokyo
Summer Olympics
BuzzFeed: Tokyo Olympics is Gayest Games Ever
List: Record Number of Out LGBTQ Athletes at Tokyo
Summer Olympics
LGBTQ Athletes Won 57 Medals at Tokyo Olympics
Over 30 LGBTQ Athletes Win Medals at Tokyo Olympics
NBC News: Over 160 LGBTQ Athletes Competing in Tokyo
Olympics
Olympic Athletes: Out and Proud
ESPN: Tokyo Olympics is Most Inclusive Event for LGBTQ
Athletes
Reuters: More LGBTQ Athletes Than Ever at Tokyo Olympics
Time: Record Number of LGBTQ Athletes
Competing in Tokyo Games
Carl Nassib: NFL Football Player Comes
Out as Gay
Las Vegas
Raiders lineman Carl Nassib just made sports history by
becoming the first active player in the National
Football League to come out as gay (or anywhere on the
LGBTQ spectrum, for that matter).
Nassib made the announcement on Instagram and quickly
put his money where his mouth is, announcing a donation
to and partnership with the Trevor Project, which aids
LGBTQ youth in crisis.
“What’s up, people?” Nassib said in a video post. “I’m
at my house in West Chester, Pa. I just wanted to take a
quick moment to say that I’m gay. I’ve been meaning to
do this for a while now but finally feel comfortable
getting it off my chest. I really have the best life,
the best family, friends, and job a guy can ask for.

“I’m a pretty private person, so I hope you guys know
that I’m not doing this for attention. I just think that
representation and visibility are so important. I
actually hope that one day, videos like this and the
whole coming-out process are not necessary, but until
then I will do my best and my part to cultivate a
culture that’s accepting and compassionate and I’m going
to start by donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project.
They’re an incredible organization, they’re the number
one suicide prevention service for LGBTQ youth in
America and they’re truly doing incredible things. I’m
very excited to be a part of it and help in any way that
I can, and I’m really pumped to see what the future
holds.”
Nassib, 28, has played with the Raiders for two years
and has been in the NFL six years overall, including
stints with the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay
Buccaneers. Nassib played college football at the
University of Pennsylvania.
While other NFL players have come out after retiring,
Nassib is the first active out player in the league.
Michael Sam famously came out after finishing his
college career at the University of Missouri and was
drafted into the NFL but never made a team roster.
Nassib is getting support. “The NFL family is proud of
Carl for courageously sharing his truth today,” NFL
commissioner Roger Goodell told Outsports in a
statement. “Representation matters. We share his hope
that someday soon statements like his will no longer be
newsworthy as we march toward full equality for the
LGBTQ+ community. We wish Carl the best of luck this
coming season.”
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis issued this
statement: “Carl Nassib’s powerful coming out is a
historic reflection of the growing state of LGBTQ
visibility and inclusion in the world of professional
sports, which has been driven by a long list of brave
LGBTQ athletes who came before him. As an accomplished
athlete who is now the first out gay active player in
the NFL, Carl Nassib’s story will not only have a
profound impact on the future of LGBTQ visibility and
acceptance in sports, but sends a strong message to so
many LGBTQ people, especially youth, that they too can
one day grow up to be and succeed as a professional
athlete like him.”
[Source: Neal Broverman, Advocate Magazine, June 2021]
Advocate: First Active NFL Player Has Come Out
NBC: Carl Nassib Comes Out
Publicly as Gay
LGBTQ Nation: Raiders' Carl Nassib Comes Out
CBS: Carl Nassib Comes Out as Openly Gay NFL Player
OutSports: NFL World
Supports Carl Nassib
CNN: Carl Nassib is First Active NFL Player to Come Out
as Gay
NFL News: Raiders DL Carl Nassib Becomes First Active
NFL Player to Come Out as Gay
Time: Carl Nassib is First Active NFL Athlete to Come
Out as Gay
USA Today: Who is Carl Nassib?
Bio: Carl Nassib
Women's
Soccer: USA Wins World Cup Title
The US
Women's Soccer Team's World Cup championship isn't just
a sports victory. It's resonating across the country as
a symbolic victory for feminism, LGBTQ pride, and
progressive politics. The team, especially openly
lesbian co-captain Megan Rapinoe, has been boldly
political, standing up for both women's rights and LGBTQ
rights and against Donald Trump, who so clearly works
against both.

The 2019
FIFA Women's World Cup was the eighth edition of the
FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international
football championship contested by 24 women's national
teams representing member associations of FIFA. It took
place between in June and July 2019, with 52 matches
staged in nine cities in France, which hosted the event,
the first time the country hosted the tournament.
The United States entered the competition as defending
champions after winning the 2015 edition in Canada and
successfully defended their title with a 2–0 victory
over the Netherlands in the final. In doing so, they
secured their record fourth title and became the second
nation, after Germany, to have successfully retained the
title.
If one person could embody all the pride, excitement,
and swagger, it was US co-captain Megan Rapinoe, who
battled the President of the United States even as she
became the unparalleled star of the World Cup. Her
boundless energy came across the Atlantic with her and
was on display for all to see from the cable talk shows
to the steps of New York’s City Hall.

Megan Rapinoe said, “There is nothing, nothing, that
can faze this group. We’re chillin’. We got tea-sippin’.
We got celebrations. We have pink hair and purple hair.
We have tattoos and dreadlocks. We got white girls and
black girls and everything in between. Straight girls
and gay girls. It’s my absolute honor to lead this team
out on the field. There’s no other place that I would
rather be.”
NBC News: USA Wins Third Women's World Cup Title
Megan Rapinoe: Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the
Year
USA Today: Megan Rapinoe and the US Women's Soccer Team
Sports Illustrated: Megan Rapinoe's Pride Shines
Washington Post: Rapinoe Delivers Rousing Victory Speech
Video: Megan Rapinoe's Speech at US Women's World Cup
Champion's Parade
Salon: Women's World Cup is a Triumph
Wikipedia: 2019 FIFA Women's Soccer World Cup
Megan Rapinoe on Cover of ESPN Body Issue
Ten Openly Gay World
Soccer Players

LGBTQ
Sports News
Cover of ESPN Body Issue: First Gay Couple
Steelers: World's First Gay Rugby Club
Michael Sam: Gay Players in the NFL
Leyna Bloom: Makes History
on Cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition
Rob Kearney: Openly Gay Strongman Gets Married
Denis Finnegan: Track & Field Champion Comes Out as Gay
Kaitlyn Weaver: Olympic Dancer Comes Out
as Queer
University of Minnesota Track Stars Talk About Coming
Out
Derrick Gordon: Out College Basketball Player
Star High School Football Player Comes Out
Rick Welts: Gay NBA Team President Marries Longtime
Boyfriend
Pro Wrestlers Who Are Proud Members Of
The LGBTQ Community
Figure Skater Amber Glenn: Coming Out as Bi/Pan
Dutee Chand: India's First Openly Gay Athlete
Sports Couple: Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger
Hurley Haywood: Racing Legend Comes Out as Gay
LGBTQ Sports Panel: Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe
Dieux Du Stade: Gods of the Stadium
Billie
Jean King: Battle of the Sexes
The 2017 film, “Battle of
the Sexes,” is the true story of the 1973 tennis match
between the world number one tennis player Billie Jean King and ex-champ
Bobby Riggs. Included in the story is Billie Jean King’s
affair with Marilyn Barnett. The movie stars Emma Stone
as Billie Jean King, Steve Carell as Bobby Riggs, and
Andrea Riseborough as Marilyn Barnett.
IMDB:
Battle of the Sexes
Out Magazine Interview: Battle of the Sexes
Jason
Collins: Gay NBA Superstar and Hero
Jason Paul Collins (born 1978) is a gay
American former professional basketball
player who played 13 seasons in the
National Basketball Association (NBA). A
center, Collins played college
basketball for Stanford University,
where he was an All-American in 2000–01.
Collins was selected by the Houston
Rockets as the 18th overall pick in the
2001 NBA draft. He went on to play for
the New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies,
Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks,
Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards and
Brooklyn Nets.

After the 2012–13 NBA season concluded,
Collins publicly came out as gay. He
became a free agent and did not play
again until February 2014, when he
signed with the Nets and became the
first openly gay athlete to play in any
of four major North American pro sports
leagues. In April 2014, Collins was
featured on the cover of Time Magazine's
"100 Most Influential People in the
World."
Collins was born in Northridge,
California, along with his twin bother
Jarron, who also became an NBA player.
They graduated from Harvard-Westlake
High School in Los Angeles. He and
Jarron won two California
Interscholastic Federation state titles
during their four-year careers with a
combined record of 123–10. Collins broke
the California career rebounding record
with 1,500. Collins played with brother
Jarron for the Stanford Cardinals in the
Pacific 10 Conference (Pac 10). In 2001,
Collins was named to All-Pac 10 first
team, and the National Association of
Basketball Coaches (NABC) voted him to
their third-team All-American team. He
finished his college career ranked first
in Stanford history for field goal
percentage (.608) and third in blocked
shots (89).

In the cover story of the May 2013 issue
of Sports Illustrated, Collins came out
as gay, becoming the first active male
athlete from one of the four major North
American professional team sports to
publicly do so. Collins also said the
murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998 led
him to choose "98" for his jersey
number, in Shepard's honor. Following
his announcement, Collins received high
praise and support for deciding to
publicly reveal that he is gay. Fellow
NBA star Kobe Bryant praised his
decision, as did others from around the
league, including NBA commissioner David
Stern. President Barack Obama, First
Lady Michelle Obama, former president
Bill Clinton, and Collins' corporate
sponsor Nike were also among those
offering their praise and support for
Collins. Former tennis player Martina
Navratilova, who came out as a lesbian
in 1981, called Collins a "game-changer"
for team sports, which she referred to
as one of the last areas where
homophobia remained. In addition to
being an acclaimed athlete, Collins has
the distinction of simultaneously
identifying as gay, black, and
Christian. As of June 2014, Collins was
in a relationship with producer Brunson
Green.
Biographical Notes: Jason Collins
CNN Sports: Jason Collins Comes Out as
Gay
ABC News: First Gay Professional Athlete
to Come Out
Players Tribune: Jason Collins Says "I'm
Out"
Sports Illustrated: Why Jason Collins
Came Out

LGBTQ Crossfitters
and Fitness Gurus
Jillian Michaels
Patricia Moreno
Richard Simmons
Nuno Costa
Shaun T
Brittany Freese
Isaac Calpito
Branden Hayward
Holly Rilinger
Cameron Burke
 |
Rachel
Robinson
Reshad
Asgarali
Courtney Paul
Elliot Musgrave
Kenta Seki
Jessee Diamond
Dave Marshall
Michelle Kinney
Shawn Stinson
Dan Weldon
 |
Danni
Pomplun
Keyne
Quiroga-Anania
Seth Browning
Ilya Parker
Stephen Wang
Chloie Jönsson
Dillon King
Emilia Richeson
Todd Brandon
Paul McNulty
 |
Crossfitters Helping Make the Sport LGBTQ Inclusive
Gay Trainers to Follow for In-Home Fitness Goals
Gay Trainers to Follow for New and Improved Fitness
Goals

Elena
Delle Donne: WNBA Star Gets Married
WNBA
basketball star Elena Delle Donne married her longtime
girlfriend, Amanda Clifton, in November 2017 and the
ceremony and festivities at Hempstead House on Long
Island, NY were breathtaking.
The couple both donned elegant white wedding gowns and
fed one another from a gigantic 6'4" cake (Elena is
6'5"), and shared the floor for the father-daughter
dances.
Delle Donne came out publicly right before the 2016
Summer Olympics, sharing the story of her relationship
with her girlfriend, now wife.
LGBTQ
Nation: See Elena Delle Donne's Wedding Photos
Out Sports: Elena Delle Donne Marries Her Girlfriend
Logo:Elena Delle Donne's Dream Wedding
WNBA Video: Best of Elena Delle Donne
 
LGBTQ Athletes in 2018 Winter
Olympics
Two Olympic Hockey Rivals Married Each Other
LGBTQ Athletes Competing in Winter Games
Out Sports: LGBTQ Winter Olympians
Gus Kenworthy: Openly Gay US Olympic Skier
LGBTQ Athletes Winning Medals at 2018 Winter Olympics
Eric Radford: Openly Gay
Canadian Olympic Skater
LGBTQ Women at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Historic Olympic Moment: Gus Kenworthy Publicly Kisses
Boyfriend
Rio Olympics and LGBTQ
Athletes
Unlike the Sochi Olympic Games (2014), where gay rights
were called into question over anti-gay laws enacted by
Russia’s government, the Rio Olympic Games (2016) were a
lot more tolerant by comparison. It wasn’t flawless in
that regard. For example, homophobic slurs were shouted
by some in the stands at a US women’s soccer match as
the games opened. But, overall, there were encouraging
signs of progress on the inclusion front.
Top Ten LGBTQ Moments From Rio Olympics
Rio Games: Queerest Olympics Ever
Out at the Rio Olympics
Rio Olympics Shows Support for LGBTQ Rights & LGBTQ
Athletes
LGBTQ Athletes Competing at Rio Olympics
Advocate: Olympic Spirit Includes LGBTQ People This Time
Meet the LGBTQ Athletes at the Rio Olympics
Rio Olympics: Most Open LGBTQ Athletes Ever
Former Captains of US and Canadian Women's Hockey Teams
Celebrate Their Baby
“That’s what I hope for and I feel like our society is
going in the right direction,” said US women’s
basketball star Elena Delle Donne, who came out and
announced her engagement last week. “That’s not a story.
It’s normal.” The new normal, perhaps.
Gay marriage is legal in Brazil, though tolerance seems
far from universal. One gay rights group says that on
average since 2013, about one LGBTQ person each day has
been killed in Brazil. The organization called Grupo Gay
da Bahia calls Brazil “the world champion of crimes
motivated by homophobia and transphobia.”

“I know all the prejudice that exists in society
against homosexuals,” said 2012 Olympic beach volleyball
bronze medalist Larissa Franca of Brazil, who competed
again in Rio. “We don’t choose our feelings, let alone
control them.” At these Olympics, there seems to be far
more cheering than prejudice.”
Whether it was a transgender model appearing in the
athletes’ parade at the opening ceremony, two men
kissing during their leg of the torch relay along
Copacabana Beach or the British women’s field hockey
team including two teammates who are married (an Olympic
first) it was an Olympic event unlike any other for the
LGBTQ community.
Openly LGBTQ Athletes Who Won Gold Medals at Rio 2016
Rachelle Bruni Gay Swim Star from Italy
First Trans Man on US Olympic Team
Openly Gay Male Olympians at Rio 2016
Marriage Proposal at Rio Olympics
US Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe Talks About Being a Gay
Athlete
Openly Lesbian Olympians at Rio 2016
Chris Mosier: US Trans Olympic Swimmer
Isadore Cerullo: Rugby Player Gets Engaged to Her
Girlfriend at Rio Olympics
Johnny Weir at Rio Olympics

The Washington Blade list of openly gay and lesbian 2016
Olympic athletes:
Nicola Adams (Great Britain, boxing)
Tom Bosworth (Great Britain, race walk)
Dutee Chand (India, track & field)
Lisa Dahlkvist (Sweden, soccer)
Katie Duncan (New Zealand, soccer)
Nilla Fisher (Sweden, soccer)
Larissa França (Brazil, beach volleyball)
Edward Gal (Netherlands, equestrian)
Brittney Griner (US, basketball)
Carl Hester (Great Britain, equestrian)
Michelle Heyman (Australia, soccer)
Stephanie Labbe (Canada, soccer)
Alexandra Lacrabère (France, handball)
Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden, soccer)
Carolina Seger (Sweden, soccer)
Melissa Tancredi (Canada, soccer)

|
Ari-Pekka Liukkonen (Finland, swimming)
Hans Peter Minderhoud (Netherlands, equestrian)
Ian Matos (Brazil, diving)
Angel McCoughtry (US, basketball)
Nadine Müller (Germany, discus)
Caster Semenya (South Africa, track & field)
Marie-Eve Nault (Canada, soccer)
Ashley Nee (US, kayak whitewater slalom)
Maartje Paumen (Netherlands, field hockey
Mayssa Pessoa (Brazil, handball)
Megan Rapinoe (US, soccer)
Susannah Townsend (Great Britian, field hockey)
Sunette Stella Viljoen (South Africa, javelin)
Marieke van der Wal (Netherlands, handball)
Spencer Wilton (Great Britain, equestrian)
Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel (Netherlands, field
hockey)
 |

LGBTQ
Sports Notes
Former Dallas Cowboy Comes Out as Gay and Gets Married
Top WNBA Lesbian Basketball Players
Krieger and Harris: US Soccer Teammates Engaged
Cover of ESPN Body Issue: First Gay Couple
Steelers: World's First Gay Rugby Club
Track Team Mates: Coming Out and Dating
Tadd Fujikawa: First Gay Pro Golfer to Come Out
NIC Athlete Breaks Barriers: Comes
Out as Gay
Tom Dailey: British Olympic Diver is
Gay
Dieux Du Stade: Gods of the Stadium
Sports Couple: Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger
PBS Video: Non-Binary Inclusion
in Sports
Jeff Rohrer: NFL Player Comes Out and Marries Partner
Kealy Kennelly: First Openly Gay World Surfing Camp
Soccer Superstar Abby Wambach Comes Out & Gets Married
Pro Wrestlers Who Are Proud Members Of
The LGBTQ Community
Dinah Shore Weekend: Biggest Lesbian Party in the World
NBA Star Dwayne Wade Supports His Gay Son
ESPN's Brief History of Gay Athletes
Robbie Rogers: Openly Gay Soccer Player
Pro Wrestlers Who are
Members of the LGBTQ Community
Caitlyn Jenner Honored
Caitlyn Jenner (the former Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner)
was presented with the prestigious Arthur Ashe Courage
Award at the 2015 ESPN Awards event. Presented by US
women's soccer player Abby Wambach, who first introduced
a touching montage of Caitlyn's journey, Jenner walked
onto the stage and was greeted with a standing ovation
from the crowd as the entire Kardashian and Jenner brood
supported in the audience.

Caitlyn revealed she had never met another transgender
person before the last few months, and expressed the
importance in accepting and respecting everyone for who
they are. "My plea to you tonight is to join me in
making this one of your issues as well. Learn as much as
you can about another person." She continued, "I
trained hard. I competed hard. And for this, people
respected me. But this transition was harder on me than
anything I could have imagined. And that's the case for
so many others besides me. For that reason alone, trans
people deserve something vital. They deserve your
respect."
The 65-year-old thanked fellow transgender people in the
industry and in the spotlight, like Laverne Cox and Chaz
Bono. "It is an honor to have the word ‘courage'
associated with my life, but on this night, another word
comes to mind, and that is ‘fortunate.' I owe a lot to
sports. It showed me the world. It's given me an
identity. If you wanna call me names, make jokes, doubt
my intentions, go ahead. Because the reality is I can
take it. But for the thousands of kids out there coming
to terms with being true to who they are, they shouldn't
have to take it. So for the people out there wondering
what this is all about, whether its about courage or
controversy or publicity, it's about what happens from
here. It's not just about one person. It's about
thousands of people. It's not just about me. It's about
all of us accepting one another. We're all different.
It's not a bad thing. It's a good thing."
Caitlyn Jenner Honored at 2015 ESPY Event
Bio: Caitlyn Jenner
Caitlyn Jenner: Trans Rights Advocate
Lesbian Tennis Superstar
Martina Navratilova Honored
Tennis legend and LGBTQ icon Martina Navratilova was
honored in September 2010 during the opening ceremonies
of the US Tennis Open in New York. The honor, for “those
who dream, succeed and inspire,” according to
organizers, is fitting for Navratilova who has battled
"nasty curveballs" in her personal and professional life
but always come out a winner. “It’s the positive
attitude that gets you through life and it is a choice,”
she said. “I’ve always been too much of an optimist
where I sort of ignore bad stuff until it sits right
there in front of me. I’m saying nothing is going to go
wrong and, when it does, that’s when I deal with it.
That’s how I’ve gotten through life. I think it’s done
me pretty well.”
The 53-year-old Czech native knows something about grit
and attitude. Early in 2010, she was diagnosed
with noninvasive breast cancer and underwent surgery and
radiation only to win the Wimbledon ladies' invitation
doubles in June 2010. Martina also spoke to the crowd about
publicly coming out of the closet as a lesbian the year
she made it to her first US Open final. “In 1981, I came
out as a gay woman. That was not a good thing to do back
then. There were a lot of doors that were shut in my
face because of that, but you know what, I could still
play tennis, no matter what.”
On December 15, 2014, Martina married her longtime
partner Julia Lemigova at the Peninsula Hotel in New
York City. Their marriage was seen very much as a public
statement. During that time, Martina was 58, and Julia
was 42. At the US Open, Martina proposed to her longtime
girlfriend Julia for the wedding by going down on one
knee while on camera. Their wedding was attended by
Julia’s two daughters Victoria Lemigova and Emma
Lemigova.
Martina Navratilova Marries Julia Lemigova
Tennis Icon Martina Navratilova Gets Married
People Magazine: Martina Navatilova Wedding
Michael Sam is First
Openly Gay NFL Athlete
Michael Sam made history on May 10, 2014 as the St.
Louis Rams made him the 249th overall choice in the 2014
NFL draft. The Missouri defensive end became the first
openly gay football player to be drafted in league
history and seeks to be the first openly gay athlete
ever to play in the NFL. The Rams used the 249th overall
selection on Michael Sam, giving the first openly gay
player the opportunity to begin his NFL career in
surroundings that should be comfortable. Shortly after
learning of his selection by phone, surrounded by
friends and family, a visibly emotional Sam turned to
his boyfriend and kissed him.

Michael Sam, an All-American defensive lineman from the
University of Missouri, announced in February 2014 that
he is gay. Sam stated publicly what his teammates and
coaches have known since August 2013: "I am an openly,
proud gay man."
ESPN: Michael Sam Overwhelmed by Pick
Huff Post: Michael Sam and the Great Facebook Kiss-In
NY Daily News: Michael Sam and His Boyfriend
CNN: Michael Sam, NFL Draft, and Kissing Boyfriend on TV
Huff Post: Michael Sam Kisses Boyfriend on Network TV
Billie
Jean King: Tennis Icon
Billie
Jean King (born November 22, 1943) is an American former
World No. 1 professional tennis player. King won 39
Grand Slam titles: 12 in singles, 16 in women's doubles,
and 11 in mixed doubles. King won the singles title at
the inaugural WTA Tour Championships. King often
represented the United States in the Federation Cup and
the Wightman Cup. She was a member of the victorious US
team in seven Federation Cups and nine Wightman Cups.
For three years, King was the US captain in the
Federation Cup.

King is an
advocate for gender equality and has long been a pioneer
for equality and social justice. In 1973, at age 29, she
won the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match against
55-year-old Bobby Riggs, and was the founder of the
Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports
Foundation.
Regarded by many in the
sport as one of the greatest tennis players of all time,
King was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of
Fame in 1987. The Fed Cup Award of Excellence was
bestowed on King in 2010. King has also received the
Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Sunday Times
Sportswoman of the Year lifetime achievement award. King
was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in
1990, and in 2006, the USTA National Tennis Center in
New York City was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King
National Tennis Center.
Billie Jean and Larry
King were engaged in fall of 1964 and married in Long
Beach, California, on September 17, 1965. Billie Jean
credited Larry with introducing her to feminism and for
pushing her to pursue tennis as a career. Billie Jean
later said she "was totally in love with Larry" when
they married.

By 1968,
King realized that she was attracted to women, and in
1971, began an intimate relationship with her secretary,
Marilyn Barnett. King acknowledged the relationship when
it became public in a May 1981 'palimony' lawsuit filed
by Barnett, making King the first prominent professional
female athlete to come out as a lesbian. Feeling she
could not admit to the extent of the relationship,
King publicly called it a fling and a mistake. She
remained married to Larry. The lawsuit caused King to
lose an estimated $2 million in endorsements and forced
her to prolong her tennis career to pay attorneys.
Concerning the personal
cost of concealing her sexuality for so many years, King
said: I wanted to tell the truth but my parents were
homophobic and I was in the closet. People told me that
if I talked about what I was going through, it would be
the end of the women's tour. I couldn't get a closet
deep enough. One of my big goals was always to be honest
with my parents and I couldn't be for a long time. I
tried to bring up the subject but felt I couldn't. My
mother would say, "We're not talking about things like
that", and I was pretty easily stopped because I was
reluctant anyway. I ended up with an eating disorder
that came from trying to numb myself from my feelings. I
needed to surrender far sooner than I did. At the age of
51, I was finally able to talk about it properly with my
parents and no longer did I have to measure my words
with them. That was a turning point for me as it meant I
didn't have regrets any more.
Billie Jean and Larry
remained married through the palimony suit fallout. The
marriage ended in 1987 after Billie Jean fell in love
with her doubles partner, Ilana Kloss. Billie Jean and
Larry remained on good terms, with Billie Jean serving
as godmother to Larry's son from his subsequent
marriage. King has residences in New York City and
Chicago with Kloss, her life partner.
ESPN: Billie Jean King
Wikipedia: Billie Jean King
IMDB:
Battle of the Sexes
Out Magazine Interview: Battle of the Sexes

LGBTQ
Sports News
LGBTQ Athletes are Fighting For Equality
On and Off the Field
Former Dallas Cowboy Comes Out as Gay and Gets Married
Krieger and Harris: US Soccer Teammates Engaged
Steelers: World's First Gay Rugby Club
Tadd Fujikawa: First Gay Pro Golfer to Come Out
Jeff Rohrer: NFL Player Comes Out and Marries Partner
Pro Wrestlers Who are
Members of the LGBTQ Community
Keala Kennelly: Lesbian Surfing Champion
NFL Veteran Comes Out as Bisexual
LGBTQ Sports Panel: Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe
Derrick Gordon: Black LGBTQ College Basketball Player
Dinah Shore Weekend: Biggest Lesbian Party in the World
NBA Legend Dwayne Wade Supports His Kid
LGBTQ Athletes Talk About Coming Out
MLB First: San Francisco
Giants Wear Pride Colors
Katie Sowers: Out Super
Bowl Coach Opposes Trans Ban in Youth Sports
Dieux Du Stade: Gods of the Stadium
Leyna Bloom: Sports Illustrated's First Black, Asian, Trans Swimsuit Model
LGBTQ America: Sports and Leisure
Billie Jean King, Megan
Rapinoe, 174 Females Athletes Support Trans Women in
Sports
Tommy Lasorda: Silence
Over HIV and His Gay Son
First Active Hockey Player
to Come Out as Gay
Justin Laevens: Pro
Cyclist Comes Out as Gay
Gus Kenworthy: Call Me
the Gay Skier
Gus Kenworthy was terrified about the consequences of
coming out as gay in 2015 but the American skier says
that his decision prompted a huge outpouring of
unexpected support and has allowed him to compete
without the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Kenworthy, an Olympic silver medal winner in the ski
slopestyle at Sochi, came out in a cover story for ESPN
The Magazine to become the first openly gay action
sports athlete.
“I had set myself up for the worst case scenario,” he
said. “I thought I was going to be turned against and
become this pariah.” Kenworthy had already told his
close family and friends, who were all very supportive.
Their support, along with a desire to be an inspiration
for other young men and women scared to come out as
homosexual, drove Kenworthy to make the decision. “I
knew I would feel so much better because I was being
authentic and maybe it would help kids going through the
same transition as me,” said Kenworthy.
"I thought it would maybe
help other people, either in professional sports or
amateur sports or even just in communities where they
felt isolated and scared to be themselves.” Within
minutes of the news breaking, Kenworthy’s telephone was
blowing up. “I had so much support coming in and so my
phone just couldn’t handle it and I couldn’t handle it
either,” he said. “I was crying and it is quite a weird
sensation to set yourself up for one outcome and then
get the total opposite.”

Kenworthy says his decision has led to a change in what
he calls his “headspace” going into competitions.
Instead of compartmentalizing his life he is able to be
himself and this has contributed to a greater sense of
freedom and confidence. The change means Kenworthy is
more confident than ever heading into the Pyeongchang
Winter Games in February 2018. “I am more open with
everyone in my life and I think it just translates into
me being able to ski a little bit more freely and not
have so much to focus on and worry about,” he added.
Despite his achievements on the slopes, Kenworthy is
known by many as the "gay skier." Instead of shying away
from the tag, Kenworthy has embraced it and hopes to
serve as an inspiration for lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and queer people (LGBTQ) around the world.
If, as Kenworthy says, he can be a gay man at the top of
the world, an Olympic gold medallist, then it would
prove a lot of people wrong.
”The Olympics is a cool opportunity to represent our
country, which is amazing, but I have another community
I am competing for and that is the LGBTQ community.
There are all these stereotypes and stigmas that people
have associated in their mind over time but nothing
breaks barriers down more than visibility or
representation.
”Having someone at the Olympics, the pinnacle event in
sports, competing against the best in the world and
being out and proud and gay and getting a medal, it
would be amazing. There is pressure that comes with this
responsibility and I feel I have a responsibility to the
LGBTQ community now. I want to lead by example and I
want to be a positive example and an inspiration for any
kids that I can.”
[Source: Huffington Post, Queer Voices, January 2018]
Former Dallas Cowboy Comes Out as Gay and Gets Married
Top WNBA Lesbian Basketball Players
Krieger and Harris: US Soccer Teammates Engaged
Cover of ESPN Body Issue: First Gay Couple
Track Team Mates: Coming Out and Dating
Tadd Fujikawa: First Gay Pro Golfer to Come Out
NIC Athlete Breaks Barriers: Comes
Out as Gay
Tom Dailey: British Olympic Diver is
Gay
Sports Couple: Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger
PBS Video: Non-Binary Inclusion
in Sports
Jeff Rohrer: NFL Player Comes Out and Marries Partner
Kealy Kennelly: First Openly Gay World Surfing Camp
Soccer Superstar Abby Wambach Comes Out & Gets Married
Dinah Shore Weekend: Biggest Lesbian Party in the World
NBA Star Dwayne Wade Supports His Gay Son
ESPN's Brief History of Gay Athletes
Robbie Rogers: Openly Gay Soccer Player
Olympian Brian Boitano
Comes Out
In December 2013, at the start of the Sochi Olympic
Games, US gold-medal-winning figure skater Brian Boitano
came out as gay. His announcement came amidst great
public dissatisfaction with the Russian government, who
had recently been very outspoken in its opposition to
LGBTQ rights and very aggressive with its anti-gay laws.
Many protests and boycotts have been staged to express
outrage at Russia, the host of the 2014 Winter Olympic
Games. Brian Boitano, a member of the US delegation to
the Sochi Winter Olympics, in announcing he is gay, made
him the third gay member of the delegation that traveled
to Russia.

The 50-year-old Boitano, who has deflected questions
about his sexuality in the past, said that “being gay is
just one part of who I am.” President Obama named
Boitano to the delegation along with Billie Jean King
and Caitlin Cahow, two openly lesbian star athletes. “I
am many things: a son, a brother, and uncle, a friend,
an athlete, a cook, an author, and being gay is just one
part of who I am,” Boitano said in a statement published
by USA Today.
“First and foremost I am an American athlete and I am
proud to live in a country that encourages diversity,
openness and tolerance. As an athlete, I hope we can
remain focused on the Olympic spirit which celebrates
achievement in sport by peoples of all nations.” The
very makeup of the delegation appeared to send a clear
message about the administration's dissatisfaction with
the Russian government on a range of foreign policy and
human rights issues, including the treatment of gays.
Proud to Play
Steelers: World's First Gay Rugby Club
LGBTQ Athletes Talk About Coming Out
Cover of ESPN Body Issue: First Gay Couple
Inspiring Message From Gay Athletes
Dinah Shore Weekend: Biggest Lesbian Party in the World
Coming Out in Sports
Top WNBA Lesbian Basketball Players
Megan Rapinoe: Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the
Year
Athletes Who Have Come Out of the Closet
Out Gay Athletes
Is America Ready for Openly Gay Athletes?
List of LGBTQ Athletes
Out Sports
Basketball Athlete Jason
Collins Comes Out
In May 2013, Sports Illustrated featured a front cover
story about Jason Collins' public coming out story.
Jason Collins, center for the Washington Wizards states,
"I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay. I
didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete
playing in a major American team sport. But since I am,
I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the
kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, I'm
different. If I had my way, someone else would have
already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising
my hand. My journey of self-discovery and
self-acknowledgement began in my hometown of Los Angeles
and has taken me through two state high school
championships, the NCAA Final Four and the Elite Eight,
and nine playoffs in 12 NBA seasons."

Jason Collins is an 11-year NBA veteran basketball star.
He has played for 6 professional teams and appeared in
two NBA Finals. Currently he plays for the Washington
Wizards. Just before that, he played for the Boston
Celtics. For more than a decade as a professional
athlete, he had remained silent about his sexuality,
worried about what teammates, opponents, fans (the
world, really) might think. So after having "endured
years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a
lie," Collins became the first active player in one of
the four major US pro sports leagues to come out as gay.
“I don’t know what to tell you," he explains. "You get
so used to wearing a mask. You get used to telling
half-truths, telling lies, telling stories about making
up fictitious girlfriends or whatever it is. In the end,
it’s all about making this step forward in my life and
being completely honest and up front and genuine. It
just goes back to anybody who tries to keep some secret.
The weight just gets heavier and heavier and heavier. It
starts taking its toll on you mentally and physically to
the point where you just don’t sleep well.”
Jason Collins: NBA Athlete Comes Out
Yahoo News: NBA Player Jason Collins Breaks Barrier
Washington Post: Response to Jason Collins' Coming Out
Has Been Positive
Chicago Tribune: Collins' Coming Out and Gay Acceptance
Jason Collins' Coming Out
is Opening Doors for People
LGBTQ Ally Brendon
Ayanbedejo
Brendon Ayanbadejo is an African-American football
linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National
Football League. He is also the first straight football
player to come out as a strong, outspoken LGBTQ ally and
supporter.
When expressing his views on gay marriage and LGBTQ
rights, he says, "It's a matter of fairness. Maybe I am
a man ahead of my time. However, looking at the former
restrictions on human rights in our country starting
with slavery, women not being able to vote, blacks being
counted as two thirds of a human, segregation, no gays
in the military all have gone by the wayside.”
In 2009, as he questioned the prohibition on same sex
marriage, he said, “I think we will look back in 10, 20,
30 years and be amazed that gays and lesbians did not
have the same rights as everyone else. How did this ever
happen in the land of the free and the home of the
brave? Discrimination against any group of people is
barbaric."
He has voiced his opinions regarding LGBTQ rights in
several magazine interviews, including ESPN Magazine and
Men's Journal. His video in support of same-sex marriage
has been heavily circulated, especially in his home
state of Maryland. Others have said of Brendon, "This
is newsworthy in the sense that pro athletes normally do
not even discuss issues relating to gay or lesbians,
especially in the world of pro football. Right or wrong,
it simply doesn't fit the macho image of tough, rugged
football players. Regardless of whether you agree or
disagree with his stance on the issue, you have to
admire Ayanbadejo's courage for speaking out."
Proud to Play
Steelers: World's First Gay Rugby Club
LGBTQ Athletes Talk About Coming Out
Cover of ESPN Body Issue: First Gay Couple
Inspiring Message From Gay Athletes
Dinah Shore Weekend: Biggest Lesbian Party in the World
Coming Out in Sports
Top WNBA Lesbian Basketball Players
Megan Rapinoe: Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the
Year
Athletes Who Have Come Out of the Closet
Out Gay Athletes
Is America Ready for Openly Gay Athletes?
List of LGBTQ Athletes
Out Sports
Trans Basketball Player
Gabrielle Lugwig
In December 2012, the women's basketball team at Mission
College expected the bleachers to be full and the
hecklers ready when its newest player made her home
court debut. In the days leading up to the game, people
had plenty to say about 6-foot-6-inch tall, 220-pound
Gabrielle Ludwig, who joined the Lady Saints as a
mid-season walk-on and became, according to advocates,
the first transsexual to play college hoops as both a
man and a woman. Coach Corey Cafferata worried the
outside noise was getting to his players, particularly
the 50-year-old Ludwig.
A pair of ESPN radio hosts had laughed at her looks,
referring to her as "it." And online threats and
anonymous calls prompted the two-year college to assign
the Navy veteran of Operation Desert Storm a safer
parking space next to the gym and two police guards.
Last week, Ludwig gathered her 10 teammates at practice
and offered to quit. This was their time to shine, she
told the group of 18-20-year-olds. She didn't want to be
a distraction for the team. The other women said if
Ludwig, whom they nicknamed "Big Sexy" and "Princess,"
didn't play, they wouldn't either. Didn't she know she
was the glue holding the team together? "Then let's
just play basketball," she replied solemnly, looking
each teammate in the eye. A lifelong basketball lover,
Ludwig has been helping coach and working out with the
Saints since the beginning of the school year, but she
only received conference clearance to compete in
November 2012. She took the court as No. 42, scoring
three points on four free throws in about seven minutes
of play. During her first home game, she scored eight
points in 11 minutes, and not a single heckle. "I got
exactly what I always wanted, just to fit in and be
normal like everyone else," Ludwig said.

Openly Gay Olympic
Athletes at Summer Games
The number of openly gay and lesbian athletes at the
2012 London Summer Olympics surpassed the totals for
Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008. There were 21 openly
gay and lesbian London Olympians, two coaches and two
gay Paralympians. This compares with 11 in Athens and 10
in Beijing, showing some progress in athletes being
public about their sexual orientation, but still a low
number.
I Found Love at the Sochi Olympics
Brian Boitano Talks About Olympic Games in Sochi
Sochi Olympics: Reading the Pictures
Gay Propaganda Laws: Olympians Fight Back
Gay Rights Activists at Sochi Olympics
How Sochi Became the Gay Olympics

The Outsports list of openly gay and lesbian 2012
Olympic athletes:
Marilyn Agliotti (Netherlands, field hockey)
Judith Arndt (Germany, cycling)
Seimone Augustus (US, basketball)
Natalie Cook (Australia, beach volleyball)
Lisa Dahlkvist (Sweden, soccer)
Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel (Netherlands, field
hockey)
Imke Duplitzer (Germany, fencing)
Edward Gal (Netherlands, equestrian)
Jessica Harrison (France, triathlon)
Carl Hester (Britain, equestrian)
Alexandra Lacrabère (France, handball)
Jessica Landström (Sweden, soccer)
Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden, soccer)
Matthew Mitcham (Australia, diving)
Maartje Paumen (Netherlands, field hockey)
Carole Péon (France, triathlon)
Mayssa Pessoa (Brazil, handball)
Megan Rapinoe (US, soccer)
Lisa Raymond (US, doubles tennis)
Rikke Skov (Denmark, handball)
Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Germany, cycling)
Péon and Harrison are a couple. In addition, Pia
Sundhage, US women’s soccer head coach, is openly gay,
as is Hope Powell, Great Britain's women’s soccer coach.
The gay Paralympians are Lee Pearson, a male British
equestrian athlete, and Claire Harvey, a member of
Britain’s women’s volleyball team.
Proud to Play
Steelers: World's First Gay Rugby Club
LGBTQ Athletes Talk About Coming Out
Cover of ESPN Body Issue: First Gay Couple
Inspiring Message From Gay Athletes
Dinah Shore Weekend: Biggest Lesbian Party in the World
Coming Out in Sports
Top WNBA Lesbian Basketball Players
Megan Rapinoe: Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the
Year
Athletes Who Have Come Out of the Closet
Out Gay Athletes
Is America Ready for Openly Gay Athletes?
List of LGBTQ Athletes
Out Sports
WNBA Star Sheryl Swoopes
Comes Out
Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese made the
following statement as three-time WNBA MVP player and
Olympic gold medalist Sheryl Swoopes came out in October
2005, in an interview with ESPN's The Magazine:
"Sheryl Swoopes is a real hero on and off the court.
Being open and honest about your life is an act of
bravery. This MVP player and Olympic gold medalist is
helping to start real conversations about openness,
honesty and authenticity. We commend her for this brave
step that will mean so much to her gay, lesbian,
bisexual, transgender and straight supportive fans and
peers."
In an interview with The Magazine, Swoopes said, "Some
people might say my coming out after just winning the
MVP award is heroic, and I understand that. And I know
there are going to be some negative things said, too.
But it doesn't change who I am. I can't help who I fall
in love with. No one can."
Kye Allums Transgender
Basketball Player
George Washington University 21-year old junior Kye
Allums is transgender and originally played women's
basketball as a woman. But he now plays the role of a
brother, not a sister, to his teammates. Everything is
the same when he takes to the court, except that Allums
is now identified as a man, becoming the first openly
transgender player in NCAA Division I basketball. "This
means a lot," Allums said in a statement. "I didn't
choose to be born in this body and feel the way I do."
The 5 foot 11 inch guard from Hugo, Minnesota, said the
university has been supportive of his decision. But he
will not be permitted to undergo testosterone therapy as
long as he is competing. A report last month from the
National Center on Lesbian Rights and the Women's Sports
Foundation provided guidance on the matter, saying that
transgender student athletes "should be allowed to
participate in any gender-segregated sports activity so
long as that athlete's use of hormone therapy, if any,
is consistent with the national governing body's
existing policies on banned medications."

Robert Chernak, senior vice provost at George
Washington, said the university is fully accepting of
Allums decision to live as a male student. "Kye has
informed the university that he will not begin any
medical or drug protocols while a student-athlete,"
Chernak said. "Kye will continue to be a member of the
women's basketball team.
Allums grew up as a tomboy and later tried behaving and
dressing the way teenage girls do, according to an
interview with OutSports, an online gay sports site. "I
decided to transition, that is change my name and
pronouns because it bothered me to hide who I am, and I
am trying to help myself and others to be who they are,"
Allums said in his statement. In his sophomore year, he
began telling people he was a man trapped in a woman's
body. "I told my teammates first, and they, including my
coaches, have supported me," he said. "My teammates have
embraced me as the big brother of the team. They have
been my family, and I love them all."
Proud to Play
Steelers: World's First Gay Rugby Club
LGBTQ Athletes Talk About Coming Out
Cover of ESPN Body Issue: First Gay Couple
Inspiring Message From Gay Athletes
Dinah Shore Weekend: Biggest Lesbian Party in the World
Coming Out in Sports
Top WNBA Lesbian Basketball Players
Megan Rapinoe: Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the
Year
27 Athletes Who Have Come Out of the Closet
Dieux Du Stade: Gods of the Stadium
Out Gay Athletes
Is America Ready for Openly Gay Athletes?
List of LGBTQ Athletes
Out Sports
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