Athletes you didnt know were gay
Jason Collins:
That was the last nail in the coffin of, I’m doing this, I’m adding my voice to all the other athletes who are speaking up on behalf of the Homosexual community. But there were those family members that I had who said, Jason, do you need to arrive out publicly? Can you just inhabit your life but know that we know we adore you, but you don’t necessarily depend on to talk about it? And I said to them, that’s not who you raised me to be.
Jay Ruderman:
Hi, I’m Jay Ruderman and welcome to All About Transform, a podcast showcasing individuals who utilize the hardships that have been thrown at them to better other people’s lives.
Montage:
I say set mental health first because if you don’t…
Montage:
This generation of America has already had enough.
Montage:
I be upright before you, not as an veteran, but as a concerned citizen.
Jay Ruderman:
Jason Collins spent 13 years playing in the NBA. During his career on the court, he earned a reputation for being a team player who knew when to step out of the spotlight for the good of his team. But that reputation came at a price.
Jason Collins:
I tried to be the excellent son, tried to be the p
27 professional athletes who name as LGBTQ
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- Carl Nassib made history in 2021 by becoming the first openly lgbtq+ man to actively compete in the NFL.
- Sheryl Swoopes and Megan Rapinoe determine as lesbians.
- Caitlyn Jenner, Patricio Manuel, Fallon Fox, and Renée Richards are gender diverse athletes.
In 2021, Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to show up out as gay.
In June 2021, NFL defensive conclude Carl Nassib came out as gay in a video posted to his Instagram, adding he donated $100,000 to The Trevor Project, an organization that focuses on suicide prevention in LGBTQ youth after he struggled with his sexuality for 15 years.
"I just want to grab a quick moment to say that I'm gay," Nassib said in the video. "I just ponder that representation and noticeability are so important. I actually hope that enjoy one day videos appreciate this and the whole coming-out process are just not necessary, but until then I'm going
15 Pro Athletes You Had No Notion Were LGBTQ
There possess seen quite a few athletes who have made the news in the last couple of years after coming out as male lover or transgender. Michael Sam was the first pro American football player to do it, Jason Collins became the first openly homosexual active NBA player, then Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner made worldwide news when she announced she was a trans woman.
Those are all pretty skillfully known cases, though. There are plenty of professional athletes who are male lover but did not get the type of news coverage that those other people got. In fact, there are quite a not many gay athletes and former athletes who didn’t make it on the list below. The proof is that only a few of these stories acquire picked up each year.
You won’t discover too many extremely popular athletes on this list, but they all had the courage to come out and most of them did so to try to facilitate others. While you might not contain heard of some of these names, luckily there is now a grand enough LGBTQ people out there and at least some of them acquire recognized them for their impact on their respective sports.
With that being said, here is our list of 15 professional athletes who you didn’t recognize were LGBTQ.
15 A Brief History of Openly Gay Olympians
Americans Adam Rippon and Gus Kenworthy are the latest LGBTQ athletes to go for the gold
Watching figure skater Adam Rippon compete, it’s uncomplicated to forget that he’s on skates. His dramatic, sharp movements – and facial expressions to match–emulate those of a professional dancer, at once complementing and contradicting his smooth, unfettered movement along the ice. He hides the technical difficulty of every jump and spin with head-flips and a dominant gaze, a performer as well as an player. But there’s one thing Rippon won’t be hiding – this year, he and freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy will become the first openly gay American men to ever rival in the Winter Olympics.
“The atmosphere in the state has changed dramatically,” says Cyd Zeigler, who co-founded Outsports, a news website that highlights the stories of LGBT athletes, in 1999. “Two men getting married wasn’t even a possibility when we started Outsports. Now it’s a reality in Birmingham, Alabama. There are gay role models at every spin – on television, on local sports, and in our communities.”
Even so, the last time that the United States sent an openly gay man to any Olym
5 Gay Athletes Who Are Out And Proud
These athletes prove sexuality has nothing to do with athletic ability…
Progress for the LGBT community has been ramping up in recent years, but athletics is still a particularly difficult area to go against deeply ingrained heteronormative ideals. Adolescent athletes often keep their sexuality to themselves for fear of their teammates, fans and coaches looking at them differently. Derrick Gordon, the first openly gay player in Division 1 college basketball accused the NBA of not giving him a reasonable shot to try out because of his sexuality. “Honestly, the NBA is not ready for an openly gay player right now,” he said. NBA scouts denied the allegation, saying that Gordon simply didn’t have the talent required to play in the NBA.
Acceptance in most sports is steadily increasing and that’s thanks to the brave athletes who come out publicly, challenging the idea of what being an athlete means. They are showing immature, gay athletes that they can be honest and open about who they are and also win in the sport of their choice. Here are a few gay athletes who have made a difference in sports simply by coming out and being proud to be themselves.

A Brief History of Openly Gay Olympians
Americans Adam Rippon and Gus Kenworthy are the latest LGBTQ athletes to go for the gold
Watching figure skater Adam Rippon compete, it’s uncomplicated to forget that he’s on skates. His dramatic, sharp movements – and facial expressions to match–emulate those of a professional dancer, at once complementing and contradicting his smooth, unfettered movement along the ice. He hides the technical difficulty of every jump and spin with head-flips and a dominant gaze, a performer as well as an player. But there’s one thing Rippon won’t be hiding – this year, he and freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy will become the first openly gay American men to ever rival in the Winter Olympics.
“The atmosphere in the state has changed dramatically,” says Cyd Zeigler, who co-founded Outsports, a news website that highlights the stories of LGBT athletes, in 1999. “Two men getting married wasn’t even a possibility when we started Outsports. Now it’s a reality in Birmingham, Alabama. There are gay role models at every spin – on television, on local sports, and in our communities.”
Even so, the last time that the United States sent an openly gay man to any Olym
5 Gay Athletes Who Are Out And Proud
These athletes prove sexuality has nothing to do with athletic ability…
Progress for the LGBT community has been ramping up in recent years, but athletics is still a particularly difficult area to go against deeply ingrained heteronormative ideals. Adolescent athletes often keep their sexuality to themselves for fear of their teammates, fans and coaches looking at them differently. Derrick Gordon, the first openly gay player in Division 1 college basketball accused the NBA of not giving him a reasonable shot to try out because of his sexuality. “Honestly, the NBA is not ready for an openly gay player right now,” he said. NBA scouts denied the allegation, saying that Gordon simply didn’t have the talent required to play in the NBA.
Acceptance in most sports is steadily increasing and that’s thanks to the brave athletes who come out publicly, challenging the idea of what being an athlete means. They are showing immature, gay athletes that they can be honest and open about who they are and also win in the sport of their choice. Here are a few gay athletes who have made a difference in sports simply by coming out and being proud to be themselves.