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LGBTQ People in Sports

Queer representation in sports...

Even in 2024, the decision for a professional athlete to come out can be a tough one. There are still many sports leagues, teams, and fandoms that aren't very accepting of queer and trans athletes — prompting them to hide in the closet for as long as possible in fear of hurting their careers, losing sponsors, or having to retire earlier than they would've liked.

We've fortunately been getting more and more examples of queer athletes coming out in recent years. As a result, their courageous stories incentivize other up-and-upcoming athletes to follow suit whenever they feel ready and willing to share their own experiences. And when they do, we are always ready to embrace them as part of our community.

In a year that included the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, this feels like an even more special period of time to celebrate queer athletes who have come out and are living as their most authentic selves.  In 2024, Basketball star Caitlin Clark was named Time Magazine Athlete of the Year... Billie Jean King became the first solo female athlete to receive the Congressional Gold Medal... Soccer stars Kristie Mewis and Samantha Kerr announced that they were expecting a baby...  And these athletes came out...

Trey Cunningham - Track & Field
Colin Grafton - Figure Skater
Sean Gunn - Swimmer
Tim Brewster and Kyle Friend -Volleyball
Bulk Bronson - Wrestler
Ralf Schumacher - Race Car Driver
João Lucas Reis da Silva - Tennis
Maven Maurer - Football

Sue Bird Named First Managing Director of USA Women's National Team
Same Sex Skating Pair

Elena Delle Donne Retires From WNBA
Olympic Medalist Yared Nuguse Comes Out: Meet His Adorable Boyfriend
GOP House Passes Bill Barring Trans Girls From Girls Sports
Outsports Power 100: Most Influential LGBTQ People in Sports
Athletes Who Came Out as LGBTQ in 2024
Gays in Sports: 2024’s Most Inspiring Moments

Meet the Male NFL Cheerleaders on 7 Different Teams
Jonathan Romero is First and Only Male Cheerleader for San Francisco 49ers
2024 LGBTQ History Project: History of Lesbians and Sports

NCAA President Says There are Less Than 10 Transgender Athletes in College Sports
Two-Time Grey Cup Winner Maven Maurer Embraces Life as First Openly Transgender Pro Football Player
24 States File Amicus Brief to Convince Supreme Court to Ban Trans Girls From Sports
Soccer Stars Kristie Mewis and Samantha Kerr are Expecting a Baby
Meet All the Queer Women in This Season's WNBA

LGBTQ Athletes at Paris Olympics

At least 175 out LGBTQ athletes will be heading to Paris for the 2024 Summer Games, with a record number of out male Olympians participating.

In the last Summer Olympics, held in Tokyo in 2021, there were at least 186 out competitors. And the Paris list is expected to grow as we learn more about the athletes arriving from all parts of the world.
 

This year, at least 18 male athletes participating in the summer Olympics are publicly out. Equestrian, an Olympic sport with eight LGBTQ men participating, has long been a leader in this space of out men.

Team LGBTQ Athletes at the Olympics

Queer Highlights of the Paris 2024 Olympics
Paris Olympics: Already Super Gay on Day One

Medal Count: LGBTQ Olympians Who Won Medals in Paris 2024
Celine Dion at the Paris Olympics

Medal Count for LGBTQ Olympians in Paris 2024
Tom Daley Wins a Medal and Shows Off His Pride at Paris Olympics

Amandine Buchard: First Out Gay Olympian to Win Medal in Paris

Tom Daley Dives with Pride at Paris Olympics
Team LGBTQ Currently Tied with Canada in Paris Olympics Medal Count

Out Athlete Lauren Scruggs Wins Fencing Silver Medal

USA Women’s Basketball Out Gay Coach in the Paris Olympics Gold Medal Match
 

LGBTQ Athletes in the Queerest Olympics Yet

Olympic Opening Ceremony Explained

LGBTQ Athletes Celebrating Their Olympic Wins With a Big Gay Kiss
Ana Patricia Wins Gold for Brazil in Volleyball with Girlfriend Courtside
Tom Daley’s Husband and Kids Share Good Luck Messages Ahead of Olympic Diving Final
Imane Khelif Wins Olympic Gold Medal After All the Controversy and Transphobic Hate

Lady Gaga at Paris Olympics

Algerian Imane Khelif Wins Boxing Gold Medal After Her Gender Was Wrongly Questioned
Ireland's Kellie Harrington Wins Boxing Gold Medal Again: Now She's Ready for Quiet Life with Wife Mandy
Algeria’s Imane Khelif Rises Above Controversy: Clinches Olympic Boxing Medal
Meet the Lesbian Couples Competing in the Olympics Together
South Korean Olympic Shooting Star Kim Yeji: World’s Hottest New Sapphic Crush Following Silver Medal Win
Queer USA Athlete Evy Leibfarth’s First Olympic Medal for Canoe/Kayak Slalom
 

Nikki Hiltz Celebrates With Partner Emma Gee at Paris Olympics
Gay American Perris Benegas Wins Silver Medal for BMX and Kisses Girlfriend Hannah Roberts
Record Number of Out Athletes Compete In Summer Olympics
Maxim Bouchard: Coming Out as Gay Helped Him Reach the Olympics
Gay Olympic Judo Athlete Wins Gold and Celebrates by Kissing Her Girlfriend

German Rower Tabea Schendekehl: One of First Out Pansexual Athletes to Win an Olympic Medal
Out Lesbian Lauren Scruggs Wins Silver: First Black Woman to Win Fencing Medal

Olympic  Sprinter Noah Lyles Fefied Haters and Wins Gold with Painted Nails
Team LGBTQ Adds Another Olympic Judo Medal with Raz Hershko’s Silver
Gay Runner Nico Young Had Great First Olympics

Tom Daley Among Flagbearers at Olympics Opening Ceremony Who are LGBTQ and Out

Gay Rugby Player Proposes To Girlfriend After Winning Olympic Medal
From the Closet to the Podium: How LGBTQ Olympians Have Become Unbeatable

How the Olympics Became the Queerest Sporting Event in the World

Out Athlete Marianne Vos Wins Silver Medal 12 Years After Her Last Medal

Rhys McClenaghan Wins Over Gay Hearts to Go Along with His Olympic Gold
Imane Khelif Defeated Olympic Opponent Who Spread Hateful Posts About Her

The vast majority of athletes on the list of queer Olympians are women. Lesbians and other queer women represent at least half of two teams: the US women’s basketball team, where six of the 12 players are out, and the Australian women’s soccer team, where at least nine of the 18 players are out. Given how many lesbians are in women’s elite level sports, it’s just been a more welcoming place than men’s sports for a long time, just because of the huge percentage of elite level athletes, particularly in Western culture, who are LGBTQ in women’s sports.

However, in the world of men’s sports, where LGBTQ athletes in the past might have been uncomfortable coming out, more male athletes are realizing that their teammates are more accepting than they may have assumed.  Despite the nonsense that goes on in some men’s locker rooms, it doesn’t reflect an actual level of acceptance. The level of acceptance is higher than what we think.

Boxer From Taiwan Shakes Off Gender Questions to Win Fight and Assure Medal
LGBTQ Fans are Showing Love for Chinese Olympic Diving Stars Chang and Chen

Lesbian Boxer Becomes First Refugee Olympic Team Athlete to Win a Medal
LGBTQ Athletes We'll be Rooting for at the 2024 Olympics

Nikki Hiltz: Trans and Nonbinary Runner Who’s Olympics-Bound

Brittney Griner and Wife Cherelle Griner Welcome Their First Baby

Team LGBTQ Finishes in 7th Place at Paris Olympics, With Most-Ever Medals
 

Some of the highest profile queer athletes at this year’s Olympic Games include British diver Tom Daley, track star Sha’Carri Richardson and trans nonbinary runner Nikki Hiltz. At the US Olympic Trials last month, Hiltz ran the second fastest time ever of any American in the women’s 1,500-meter race.

Hiltz will be one of at least three nonbinary athletes participating in Paris. They’ll be joined by US women’s rugby player Kris Thomas and Canadian soccer star Quinn, who helped Canada win a gold medal at the Tokyo Games and made history in the process as the first openly trans athlete to nab an Olympic medal.

Alice Bellandi made history by winning Italy's first Olympic gold in judo since 2008. Her victory was celebrated with a heartfelt kiss from her girlfriend, a beautiful reminder of why LGBTQ representation matters so much.  In a time when LGBTQ rights are being challenged, especially in Italy, Bellandi's triumph and the love she shares with her partner are a powerful statement of pride and resilience.

Women’s soccer, across all participating countries, is the queerest sport at the Olympics this year. Brazil’s team has eight out athletes this year, while Australia’s roster has nine, which might be the most LGBTQ people we’ve ever seen on an Olympic team.

[Source: Isabel Yip, NBC News; Cyd Zeigler, OutSports; July 2024]

Amandine Buchard: First Out Gay Olympian to Win Medal in Paris
How the Olympics Became the Queerest Sporting Event in the World
At Least 175 LGBTQ Athletes Compete in Paris Olympics

Trans Non-Binary Runner Secures Olympic Ticket

Tom Daley is Heading to the 2024 Olympics

Ready for Paris: LGBTQ Athletes at the 2024 Olympics

Gus Kenworthy's Open Letter to LGBTQ Paris Olympians

LGBTQ Athletes We'll be Rooting for at the 2024 Olympics

Nikki Hiltz: Trans and Nonbinary Runner Who’s Olympics-Bound

Brittney Griner and Wife Cherelle Griner Welcome Their First Baby

LGBTQ Sports Legends Who Dominated Their Field

USA Track Star Trey Cunningham Comes Out as Gay

Football Players Who Came Out of the Closet

Champion Figure Skater Makes History: Unfurls Pride Flag During Gold Medal Ceremony
 

LGBTQ Athlete Billy Bean Dies at Age 60

Trailblazing gay baseball athlete Billy Bean passes away at age 60

The MLB star played for teams like the Detroit Tigers and the San Diego Padres in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Billy Bean, the trailblazing baseball player who came out as gay and paved the way for future generations of athletes to be their most authentic selves, died August 2024. In 2023, Bean was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (ALM). After a hard-fought battle with cancer, the retired athlete reportedly passed away.

Billy Bean Bio
Billy Bean, Second Openly Gay Ex-MLB Player, Dies at 60
Billy Bean Will Always Be a Baseball Hero to His Lifelong Fans
Billy Bean, Second Major League Baseball Player to Come Out as Gay, Dies at 60

Trailblazing Gay Baseball Athlete Billy Bean Passes Away at Age 60
T.J. House, Former MLB Player, Comes Out as Gay
MLB's Glenn Burke Still Matters in LGBTQ Sports

Born in Santa Ana, California, Bean played for high-profile teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). Namely, he played the Detroit Tigers (1987-1989), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1989), and the San Diego Padres (1993-1995). During his debut playing for the Tigers, Bean had an impressive four-hit performance that tied a record for a player in his first game.

Bean slowly came out to the public in the late 1990s, as reported in The New York Times. The MLB star said at the time, "For nine years, I felt as though I had one foot in the major leagues and one on a banana peel," noting that he was concerned about embarrassing his family and his baseball team at the time.

Major League Baseball shared a statement on Bean's passing that reads as follows:

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend and colleague Billy Bean, MLB's Senior VP for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and Special Assistant to the Commissioner. Billy, who fought a heroic year-long battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, was 60. Over the last 10 years, Billy worked passionately and tirelessly with MLB and all 30 Clubs, focusing on player education, LGBTQ inclusion, and social justice initiatives to advance equality in the game for all.

Billy's 10-year playing career included six Major League seasons with the Tigers, Dodgers, and Padres. Commissioner Rob Manfred called Billy "one of the kindest and most respected individuals I have ever known and someone who made Baseball a better institution, both on and off the field."

[Source: Bernardo Sim, Out Magazine, August 2024]
 

Sue Bird Named First Managing Director of USA Women's National Team

Same Sex Skating Pair

Elena Delle Donne Retires From WNBA

Olympic Medalist Yared Nuguse Comes Out: Meet His Adorable Boyfriend
Two-Time Grey Cup Winner Maven Maurer Embraces Life as First Openly Transgender Pro Football Player
24 States File Amicus Brief to Convince Supreme Court to Ban Trans Girls From Sports
Soccer Stars Kristie Mewis and Samantha Kerr are Expecting a Baby
Meet All the Queer Women in This Season's WNBA
Billie Jean King Becomes First Solo Female Athlete to Receive Congressional Gold Medal

Trailblazing Gay Baseball Athlete Billy Bean Passes Away at Age 60
Celine Dion at the Paris Olympics
At Least 175 LGBTQ Athletes Compete in Paris Olympics
Brittney Griner and Wife Cherelle Griner Welcome Their First Baby
US Track Star Trey Cunningham Comes Out as Gay
Gus Kenworthy's Open Letter to LGBTQ Paris Olympians

Trans Non-Binary Runner Secures Olympic Ticket

USA Track Star Trey Cunningham Comes Out as Gay

Three Years After He Came Out, NFL Player Carl Nassib Opens Up
Ally Kennedy and Taylor Moreno are a Pro Lacrosse Power Couple
Out Gay Olympic Gold Medal-Winning Boxer Getting a Shot at World Title
Tom Daley is Heading to the 2024 Olympics

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, US 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.

Sue Bird Named First Managing Director of Team USA Women's National Basketball Team
Billie Jean King Becomes First Solo Female Athlete to Receive Congressional Gold Medal

Lady Gaga at Paris Olympics

Trailblazing Gay Baseball Athlete Billy Bean Passes Away at Age 60

Ready for Paris: LGBTQ Athletes at the 2024 Olympics

Gus Kenworthy's Open Letter to LGBTQ Paris Olympians

Trans Non-Binary Runner Secures Olympic Ticket

Same Sex Skating Pair

WNBA Legend Brittney Griner and Her Wife Cherelle Welcome Their First Child Together
10 Gay or Bi Players Have Been NFL Draft Picks, Two in the First Round

Kennedy McDowell: Out Gay College Football Star Who Was Never in the Closet
Gaby Vincent: Queer Black Soccer Pro Breaking Down the Washington Spirit
Univ South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley Says She Supports Trans Athletes in Women's Sports
Matildas’ Ellie Carpenter Gets Engaged to Teammate Daniëlle van de Donk

Gay Hockey Player Teaches Young Players About Acceptance
NFL Coach Kevin Maxen Comes Out as Gay

Football Players Who Came Out of the Closet

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.

Elena Delle Donne Retires From WNBA

Meet All the Queer Women in This Season's WNBA

At Least 175 LGBTQ Athletes Compete in Paris Olympics

Olympic Medalist Yared Nuguse Comes Out: Meet His Adorable Boyfriend
Brittney Griner and Wife Cherelle Griner Welcome Their First Baby

Nikki Hiltz: Trans and Nonbinary Runner Who’s Olympics-Bound

Michelle-Lee Ahye and Crystal Emmanuel-Ahye are Married Olympians
Three Years After He Came Out, NFL Player Carl Nassib Opens Up

Ally Kennedy and Taylor Moreno are a Pro Lacrosse Power Couple

Out Gay Olympic Gold Medal-Winning Boxer Getting a Shot at World Title

LGBTQ Athletes We'll be Rooting for at the 2024 Olympics
Meet All of the Queer Women in This Season's WNBA

Reasons We Love Rising Out Hockey Star Luke Prokop

NFL Coach Kevin Maxen Comes Out as Gay

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.

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.

Sue Bird Named First Managing Director of Team USA Women's National Basketball Team

Same Sex Skating Pair

Billie Jean King Becomes First Solo Female Athlete to Receive Congressional Gold Medal

At Least 175 LGBTQ Athletes Compete in Paris Olympics

Trans Non-Binary Runner Secures Olympic Ticket

Tom Daley is Heading to the 2024 Olympics

Ready for Paris: LGBTQ Athletes at the 2024 Olympics

Gus Kenworthy's Open Letter to LGBTQ Paris Olympians

USA Track Star Trey Cunningham Comes Out as Gay
Football Players Who Came Out of the Closet

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Supports LGBTQ Players

Kennedy McDowell: Out Gay College Football Star Who Was Never in the Closet

Success of Matt Lynch: How a Gay Basketball Coach Led His Team to Victory
Champion Figure Skater Makes History: Unfurls Pride Flag During Gold Medal Ceremony
Steelers: World's First Gay Rugby Club
How the Olympics Became the Queerest Sporting Event in the World

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.

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]

Elena Delle Donne Retires From WNBA

How the Olympics Became the Queerest Sporting Event in the World

Brittney Griner and Wife Cherelle Griner Welcome Their First Baby

Basketball Icon Sue Bird Plays Her Last Game in the WNBA

Gaby Vincent: Queer Black Soccer Pro Breaking Down the Washington Spirit

College Track & Field Star Breaking Records as His Authentic Gay Self

Amber Glenn Is First Out Queer Woman to Win US Figure Skating Title

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
LGBTQ Athletes are Fighting For Equality On and Off the Field

Matildas’ Ellie Carpenter Gets Engaged to Teammate Daniëlle van de Donk

Reasons We Love Rising Out Hockey Star Luke Prokop

Famous LGBTQ Athletes

Martina Navratilova - US Tennis Player

Greg Louganis - US Olympic Swimmer

Billie Jean King - US Tennis Player

Diana Nyad - US Swimmer

Billy Bean - MLB Baseball 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

Same Sex Skating Pair

Billie Jean King Becomes First Solo Female Athlete to Receive Congressional Gold Medal

Olympic Medalist Yared Nuguse Comes Out: Meet His Adorable Boyfriend
At Least 144 LGBTQ Athletes Compete in Paris Olympics

Trans Non-Binary Runner Secures Olympic Ticket

Three Years After He Came Out, NFL Player Carl Nassib Opens Up

Ally Kennedy and Taylor Moreno are a Pro Lacrosse Power Couple

Tom Daley is Heading to the 2024 Olympics

Meet All of the Queer Women in This Season's WNBA

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Supports LGBTQ Players

Kennedy McDowell: Out Gay College Football Star Who Was Never in the Closet
Gaby Vincent: Queer Black Soccer Pro Breaking Down the Washington Spirit

Out Gay Olympic Gold Medal-Winning Boxer Getting a Shot at World Title

Caitlin Clark - WNBA Basketball Player (2024 Time Magazine Athlete of the Year)
Noa-Lynn van Leuven - Transgender Darts Campion
Joao Lucas Reis da Silva - Brazilian Tennis Player

Justin Rogers - NHL Seattle Kraken Head Trainer

Grace Wilson - Australian Soccer Player

Beth Mead - UK Soccer Player, BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award
Amber Glenn - US Figure Skater

Tran Thi Thu - Vietnamese Soccer Player

Brock McGillis - Canadian Hockey Player

Luke Prokop - NHL Hockey Player
Kennedy McDowell - Football Player
Lendale Johnson - US Tennis Player

Eric Back - Sportscaster
Kevin Maxen - NFL Football Coach

Sasha Jane Lowerson - Surfer

Emina Bektas - US Tennis Player
Tara Moore - British Tennis Player
Conny Perrin - Swiss Tennis Player
Alberto Lejárraga - Spanish Soccer Player

Jakub Jankto - Czech Soccer Player

Justice Roe Williams - Transgender Personal Trainer
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

Joao Lucas Reis da Silva - Tennis Player

Meet All the Queer Women in This Season's WNBA

Success of Matt Lynch: How a Gay Basketball Coach Led His Team to Victory

Amber Glenn Is First Out Queer Woman to Win US Figure Skating Title

Gay Hockey Player Teaches Young Players About Acceptance

Lendale Johnson on Coming Out and New Reality Series 'Deuces and Love'

Lesbians and Sapphics are Going Crazy Over These Moments in Women’s Soccer
Former MLB Star TJ House Comes Out As Gay

How the Olympics Became the Queerest Sporting Event in the World

Meet All of the Queer Women in This Season's WNBA

Athletes Who Recently Came Out
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
LGBTQ Sports Legends Who Dominated Their Field

Same Sex Skating Pair

Dan Jervis - British Olympic Swimmer

Arthur Nory - Brazilian Olympian Gymnast

Trey Cunningham - US Track & Field

Zach Herrin - Race Car Driver

Zander Murray - Scottish Soccer Player

Jack Woolley - Taekwondo Olympian

Jade Konkel-Roberts - British Rugby Player
Megan Jones - British Rugby Player
Celia Quansah - British Rugby Player

Kade McCall - US College Track & Field

Lauren Price - American Olympic Boxer
Tyler Queen - Olympic Surfer

Sam Stosur - Australian Tennis Player

Nico Young - US Track Olympian

Alice Bellandi - Italian Judo Olympian

Richèl Hogenkamp - Dutch Tennis Player
Matt Turner - US Soccer Player++

Sean Gunn - US Olympic Swimmer

Ellie Carpenter - Australian Soccer Player

Jack Jablonski - US Hockey Player
Denis Finnegan - USA Track & Field Champ

Ralf Schumacher - German Race Car Driver
Travis Shumake - American Race Car Driver
 

US Track Star Trey Cunningham Comes Out as Gay

LGBTQ Athletes: Journey of Coming Out and Importance of Inclusivity in Sports Industry
Univ South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley Says She Supports Trans Athletes in Women's Sports

Champion Figure Skater Makes History: Unfurls Pride Flag During Gold Medal Ceremony

Olympic Medalist Yared Nuguse Comes Out: Meet His Adorable Boyfriend
At Least 144 LGBTQ Athletes Compete in Paris Olympics

Trans Non-Binary Runner Secures Olympic Ticket

LGBTQ Athletes We'll be Rooting for at the 2024 Olympics

Gus Kenworthy's Open Letter to LGBTQ Paris Olympians

USA Track Star Trey Cunningham Comes Out as Gay

LGBTQ Sports Legends Who Dominated Their Field

Football Players Who Came Out of the Closet

Same Sex Skating Pair

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

Holly Aitchison - British Rugby Player
Hannah Botterman - British Rugby 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 Olympic Runner

Glenn Burke - US MLB Baseball Player

Sue Wicks - US WNBA Basketball Player
Taylor Emery - US WNBA Basketball Player

Mark Tewksbury - Canadian Olympic Swimmer

Meet All the Queer Women in This Season's WNBA

Billie Jean King Becomes First Solo Female Athlete to Receive Congressional Gold Medal

Ready for Paris: LGBTQ Athletes at the 2024 Olympics

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Supports LGBTQ Players

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
LGBTQ Athletes: Journey of Coming Out and Importance of Inclusivity in Sports Industry

Buffalo Bills Help Start Local Gay Flag Football League, Latest NFL Team to Support LGBTQ Athletes

US Track Star Trey Cunningham Comes Out as Gay

College Track & Field Star Breaking Records as His Authentic Gay Self

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

Univ South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley Says She Supports Trans Athletes in Women's Sports

Out-And-Proud Athletes Changing the Game For LGBTQ People in 2023
Amber Glenn Is First Out Queer Woman to Win US Figure Skating Title
Vietnamese Soccer Star Makes History by Marrying Her Girlfriend

Australia’s Matildas: One of the Gayest Teams at Women’s World Cup
Megan Rapinoe to Retire After NWSL Season and Her 4th World Cup

Gay Hockey Player Teaches Young Players About Acceptance

NFL Coach Kevin Maxen Comes Out as Gay

WNBA Star Breanna Stewart and Wife Welcome First Child
Lesbians and Sapphics are Going Crazy Over These Moments in Women’s Soccer

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

Ryan O’Callaghan - US Football Player

Jack Dunne - Irish Soccer Player

Luke Prokop - US Hockey Player

Iker Casillas - Spanish Soccer Player

Byron Perkins - First Out Gay HBCU Football Player

Anthony Bowens - US Wrestler

Courtney Vandersloot - US WNBA Basketball Player
Allie Quigley - US WNBA Basketball Player

Thomas Hitzlsperger - German Soccer Player

International Rugby League Bans Trans Athletes: FIFA & World Athletics Likely to Follow

Megan Rapinoe Announces Her Retirement from Professional Soccer

First Openly Gay HBCU Football Player Byron Perkins Reveals New Boyfriend
Kumi Yokoyuma, Japanese Soccer Player, Comes Out as Trans

This College Track & Field Star is Breaking Records as His Authentic Gay Self

Vietnamese Soccer Star Makes History by Marrying Her Girlfriend

Ally Kennedy and Taylor Moreno are a Pro Lacrosse Power Couple

10 Gay or Bi Players Have Been NFL Draft Picks, Two in the First Round

Success of Matt Lynch: How a Gay Basketball Coach Led His Team to Victory

Jakub Jankto: 1st 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
 

Matt Lynch - Basketball Coach

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
 

US Track Star Trey Cunningham Comes Out as Gay

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Supports LGBTQ Players

Football Players Who Came Out of the Closet

Meet All of the Queer Women in This Season's WNBA

LGBTQ Sports Legends Who Dominated Their Field

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

Amber Glenn Is First Out Queer Woman to Win US Figure Skating Title

Lendale Johnson on Coming Out and New Reality Series 'Deuces and Love'

Major League Baseball Embraces LGBTQ Pride

Mexican Soccer Team Asking Fans to Halt Homophobic Chants at Games

Buffalo Bills Help Start New Local Gay Flag Football League, Latest NFL Team to Support LGBTQ Athletes

College Track & Field Star Breaking Records as His Authentic Gay Self

Soccer Legend Megan Rapinoe Announces She Will Retire After 2023 Season

Soccer Legend Megan Rapinoe Announces She Will Retire

Megan Rapinoe says she’ll retire after the NWSL season and her 4th World Cup

US women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe is ready to retire after an illustrious career in which she won an Olympic gold medal, two World Cups and never shied away from using her platform to spotlight social issues.  Rapinoe, 38, announced in July 2023 that her fourth World Cup will be her last and she’ll officially retire with the OL Reign at the end of the National Women’s Soccer League season.

Rapinoe and the US team are aiming for a third consecutive title when the Women’s World Cup kicks off on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand. The US plays Wales in a final tune-up match in California before leaving for the World Cup. “I’m just really grateful to be able to do it in this way,” Rapinoe said in San Jose, California, ahead of the match. “I understand that it is incredibly rare for athletes of any stature to be able to go out in their own way, on their own terms, at the time that they want, in a way that feels really peaceful and settled for them.

At the 2019 World Cup in France, Rapinoe scored six goals over the course of the tournament, including a penalty in a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final. She also finished with three assists and claimed the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball for the best overall player. Rapinoe also took home the Ballon d’Or and the Best FIFA Women’s Player awards (the game’s top individual honors) for her play in 2019.
 

Advocate: Megan Rapinoe Announces Retirement, Says This Is Her Last World Cup

NBC News: Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe Announces She'll Retire at End of NWSL Season
CBS News: Soccer Legend Megan Rapinoe Announces She Will Retire After 2023 Season
CNN: Megan Rapinoe Announces Her Retirement from Professional Soccer
USWNT Legend Megan Rapinoe to Retire: 2023 World Cup Will Be Her Last
USA Today: USWNT Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe Will Retire After NWSL Season
AP News: Megan Rapinoe to Retire After NWSL Season and Her 4th World Cup
Lesbians and Sapphics are Going Crazy Over These Moments in Women’s Soccer

Rapinoe is tied with Abby Wambach for third all-time in assists for the US Women’s National Team and is one of only seven players in team history with more than 50 career goals and assists. She first played for the US senior team in 2006. Rapinoe has played her entire 11-year NWSL career for the Reign. She has scored the sixth most goals in league history with 48.

An outspoken advocate for equal pay in women’s soccer and supporter of LGBTQ rights, President Joe Biden last year awarded Rapinoe the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.  Rapinoe was the first white athlete and first female to kneel during the national anthem in solidarity with former NFL player Colin Kaepernick.

She is engaged to be married to women’s basketball icon Sue Bird.

“I don’t even think there are words to say what she’s meant to the growth of soccer in this country, and not just this country, worldwide,” US forward Sophia Smith said. “She is a legend. ... So it is a really sad and bittersweet time. But I’m excited to be able to go on this last journey with her in the World Cup and see all the great things that she does after her career.”

[Source: Associated Press, July 2023]
 

Ready for Paris: LGBTQ Athletes at the 2024 Olympics

Buffalo Bills Help to Start Local Gay Flag Football League, Latest NFL Team to Support LGBTQ Athletes

Univ South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley Says She Supports Trans Athletes in Women's Sports

Success of Matt Lynch: How a Gay Basketball Coach Led His Team to Victory

Matildas’ Ellie Carpenter Gets Engaged to Teammate Daniëlle van de Donk

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

Byron Perkins, First Out Gay College Football Player in HBCU History

Olympic Swimmer Daniel Jervis Reflects on Coming Out
Out WNBA Star Brittney Griner: Imprisoned in Russia and Pleads for Biden's Help

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.

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

Carl Nassib: Three Years After He Came Out, NFL Player Carl Nassib Opens Up

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]
 

Football Players Who Came Out of the Closet

LGBTQ Athletes: Journey of Coming Out and Importance of Inclusivity in Sports Industry

10 Gay or Bi Players Have Been NFL Draft Picks, Two in the First Round

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

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”.

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?

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]
 

LGBTQ Sports Legends Who Dominated Their Field

Football Players Who Came Out of the Closet

Gay Hockey Player Teaches Young Players About Acceptance
NFL Coach Kevin Maxen Comes Out as Gay

Football Players Who Came Out of the Closet

Connecticut Sun Stars DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas are Engaged
Byron Perkins, First Out Gay College Football Player in HBCU History
Kelly Holmes: Fear of Being Outed
These Male Pro-Sports Cheerleaders Have us Shouting Go Team!
Rugby League Bans Trans Women from International Matches Until Further Research

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 Athletes: Journey of Coming Out and Importance of Inclusivity in Sports Industry

How LGBTQ Athletes Use Their Platforms to Advance LGBTQ Rights and Inclusion in Sports

The power of sport: More and more athletes are raising their voices and using their reach to be role models in the fight for more rights and inclusion for the LGBTQ community...

Megan Rapinoe now has more than two million followers on Instagram. Why is that special? Because Megan Rapinoe is considered THE voice of the LGBTQ movement in professional sports. Almost every one of her social media posts reaches millions of people. In them, she engages in one way or another with the fight for social justice that Rapinoe, along with her wife Sue Bird, also a top athlete, is waging in US society. And the fight is important: To date, for example, no active soccer player in the men's national league in Germany has come out. "Gay" is furthermore still used as an insult in many sports. It is meant to deny athletes their masculinity, which is associated with power and strength. But there are positive developments as well. In large part due to women like Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird speaking out and thereby advancing LGBTQ rights and inclusion in sports.
 

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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

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Dennis Rodman: 10-20% of Pro Athletes Are Gay

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Leading by example: LGBTQ athletes advocating for their rights...

Athletes who have come out themselves or see themselves as allies play an important role in the acceptance of LGBTQ in sports. On the one hand, they provide visibility, but they also give the topic a face and a story.

However, many athletes come out only after their careers have ended, because they still have to fear disadvantages. Some major sponsors, on whom professional athletes are usually dependent, may withdraw financial support for LGBTQ athletes for various reasons. Equally, there could be reprisals by the sports federation or the own state, such as the exclusion from tournaments despite sporting qualifications.

In America, NFL star Carl Nassib caused a stir with his coming out, currently playing for the Las Vegas Raiders. He followed national soccer player and activist Megan Rapinoe, who spoke out about her homosexuality back in 2012 and is known for her political commitment to the LGBTQ community. Nassib is the first active NFL player to come out about his homosexuality. This is notable because American football in particular is strongly associated with the patriarchal view of masculinity.
 

Coming Out in Sports

Born to Play: Boston Renegades Women's Football Team

LGBTQ Out Athletes You Should Know About

Queer People in Sports

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

Famous Lesbian Athletes
LGBTQ Inclusion in Sports

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

A prominent example in Germany is Thomas Hitzlsperger, who made it to the German national team as a soccer player. Shortly after his career ended, he confessed his homosexuality in a major newspaper interview in 2014. However, he always dismissed questions about the reasons for his late coming out - although the outing was very positively received by officials and fans. Since then, he has publicly campaigned for LGBTQ rights.

While for Hitzlsperger, Nassib and Rapinoe there was no professional regression, for Chinese national soccer player Li Ying her outing in 2021 was presumably the end of her career. In China, homosexuality is not explicitly banned, but is often socially associated with resentment. Ying was no longer called up to the national team and was not allowed to take part in the Tokyo Olympics, although this was not officially justified on the grounds of her sexuality.

Lia Thomas sparked an international controversy. The trans swimmer began competing in the women's category during her transition and achieved considerable success there. Conservative America in particular reacted harshly with debate and, in many places, far-reaching anti-LGBTQ laws. The IOC (International Olympic Committee) then deepened its efforts to re-regulate the grouping into tournament categories by gender.
 

How LGBTQ Athletes Use Their Platforms to Advance LGBTQ Rights and Inclusion in Sports
Byron Perkins, First Out Gay College Football Player in HBCU History
Kelly Holmes: Fear of Being Outed
These Male Pro-Sports Cheerleaders Have us Shouting Go Team!
Rugby League Bans Trans Women from International Matches Until Further Research
Queer Women are Dominating in These Three Sports

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

Dwyane Wade’s Painted Nails Have Angered People
Che Flores Comes Out and Makes History as NBA's First Trans Nonbinary Referee

Duke Basketball Star Jared McCain Paints His Nails, Ignores Haters

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

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

Matildas’ Ellie Carpenter Gets Engaged to Teammate Daniëlle van de Donk

Connecticut Sun Stars DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas are Engaged

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.”

Proud to Play

LGBTQ Sports Legends Who Dominated Their Field

LGBTQ Athletes: Journey of Coming Out and Importance of Inclusivity in Sports Industry

Football Players Who Came Out of the Closet

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

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."

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?

Reasons We Love Rising Out Hockey Star Luke Prokop
Gay Tennis Players Smashing Down Barriers as US Open 2023 Gets Underway

Pro Wrestlers Who are Members of the LGBTQ Community

Dieux Du Stade: Gods of the Stadium

Women's Sports: More Gay Friendly

Lendale Johnson on Coming Out and New Reality Series 'Deuces and Love'

Out Athletes Who Have Made Headlines

ESPN's Brief History of Gay Athletes

Candace Parker and Wife Anna Petrakova-Parker Are Having Another Baby
Best and Gayest Teams in the 2023 Women’s World Cup
List of LGBTQ Athletes

Out Sports

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.” 

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

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]

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 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

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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]

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

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

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.

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

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]

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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.

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

“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]

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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.

NBC News: USA Wins Third Women's World Cup Title

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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.”
 

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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

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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). 

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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.

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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.

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LGBTQ Athletes in 2018 Winter Olympics

The 2018 Winter Olympics were an international winter multi-sport event held between 9 and 25 February 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Pyeongchang was elected as the host city for the 2018 Winter Games. This marked the second time that South Korea had hosted the Olympic Games , as well as the first time it hosted the Winter Olympics. The 2018 Games marked the third time that an Asian country had hosted the Winter Olympics, after Sapporo 1972 and Nagano 1998, both in Japan. It was also the first Winter Olympics held in mainland Asia, and the first of three consecutive Olympic Games held in East Asia, preceding the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in China.

The 2018 Games featured 102 events over 15 disciplines, a record number of events for the Winter Games. This is the first edition in Winter Olympic Games history to feature more than 100 medal events, four of which made their Olympic debut in 2018: "big air" snowboarding, mass start speed skating, mixed doubles curling, and mixed team alpine skiing. A total of 2,914 athletes from 93 teams competed, with the national debuts of Ecuador, Eritrea, Kosovo, Malaysia, Nigeria and Singapore.

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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.

“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.”

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 “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.

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The Washington Blade list of openly gay and lesbian 2016 Olympic athletes:

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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.

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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."

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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.” 

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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 and Emma.

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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.

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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." 

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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.

ESPN: Billie Jean King

Wikipedia: Billie Jean King

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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.

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"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.”

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.

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List of LGBTQ Athletes

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: 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

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.”

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.

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

Olympic Figure Skater Adam Rippon Just Got Married

Carl Nassib Posted Adorable Boyfriend Pic
95-year-old ‘League of Their Own’ Inspiration Maybelle Blair Comes Out as Gay
Lia Thomas: First Transgender Woman to Win NCAA Championship

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.

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

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."

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

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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