Celebrating Pride in Professional Sports
- Alexa Sandler
- Jun 29, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 4, 2020
June is Pride Month. Professional sporting leagues have started to have Pride Night themed games in recent years. I absolutely love that professional sports leagues/teams now recognize the LGBTQIA+ community and dedicate a game day to supporting the end to the challenges and oppression that this community faces. This also has opened the door for athletes to come out in a safe way, if they choose to. I am thrilled that athletes are beginning to feel comfortable being themselves and embracing loving who they love without feeling like their career will be in jeopardy as a result. This is a huge step forward.
So, I am going to share with you openly LGBTQIA+ athletes (past and present) from a variety of different sports.
Ryan Russell - NFL
Ryan Russell is the first openly bisexual NFL player. In 2019, this Tampa Bay Buccaneer came out in an essay. He wrote "My truth is that I'm a talented football player, a damn good writer, a loving son, an overbearing brother, a caring friend, a loyal lover, and a bisexual man" (ESPN). He has been a great voice on changing the stigmas around the LGBTQIA+ community in sports.
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird - Soccer and WNBA
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird are the gay power couple of the sports world. In 2012, Rapinoe came out and, in an interview, she said, "I think they were trying to be respectful and that it’s my job to say, ‘I’m gay.’ Which I am. For the record: I am gay" (Out). At this point, Bird and Rapinoe weren't an item. But, in 2017, Bird said "I'm gay. Megan's my girlfriend. ... These aren't secrets to people who know me. I don't feel like I've not lived my life. I think people have this assumption that if you're not talking about it, you must be hiding it, like it's this secret. That was never the case for me" (ESPNW). Since Bird's coming out and announcement of dating Rapinoe, this couple has been a voice for gay females in sports. Personally, I'm a big fan of this duo.
Fallon Fox - MMA
Fallon Fox is the first transgender woman in MMA. In an interview she stated "I'm technically, legally, physically and mentally female. Everything about me is female" (Out Sports). For more on her incredible story read her interview with Out Sports.
Glenn Burke - MLB
In 1982, two years after he left baseball, Glenn Burke came out to the public. Being accredited with being the first gay MLB player, Burke suffered a lot of discrimination within baseball. He stated there was a point "where it was more important to be [him]self than a baseball player" (The Washington Post). In 1995, Burke passed away from complications with AIDS. Not only is he an incredible athlete, but an incredible man. May is memory live on as an inspiration for other gay baseball players and athletes. Read more about his incredible journey via The Washington Post.
Robbie Rogers - Soccer
In 2013, Robbie Rogers announced he was gay and that he was leaving soccer. Fearful of media backlash, he decided to hang up his cleats. In an interview, Rogers stated "[He] started feeling very different and it was a case of, 'All right, I'm good at football and I get attention from girls. Why don't I want that? What's wrong with me?' [He] realised [he] was gay when I was 14 or 15. [He] was like, 'I want to play football. But there are no gay footballers. What am I going to do?'" (The Guardian) Read more about his journey and coming out story in The Guardian.
Jason Paul Collins - NBA
In 2013, in a Sports Illustrated piece, NBA player, Jason Paul Collins, came out as gay. He wrote "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay," (SI). Playing basketball for 13 seasons, Collin became the first openly gay NBA player.
Billie Jean King - Tennis
Being one of the most notable and decorated female tennis players, Billie Jean King was used to the spotlight. Unfortunately, in 1981, she was publicly outed. People around her told her do deny it, but King said "‘I’m going to do it. I don't care. This is important to me to tell the truth". (NBC News). King constantly battled with her sexuality and was never really fully accepting of herself until later in life. Now, she continues to be an activist for positive change in America.
Patricio Manuel - Boxing
In 2018, Patricio Manuel became the first transgender boxer. Manuel actually started his boxing career as a female and was pretty good. After struggling with not feeling in the right place fighting in the women's division, he stated that "once [he] realized that [he] was trans, [he] knew that [he] needed to live [his] life being seen as a man," (CNBC). His transition wasn't easy. He lost a lot of coaches, friends, and family. However, he was true to himself and that was most important to him. He continued to box as a man and Everlast recently made him the face of boxing. Read more about his journey on CNBC.
Brittney Griner - WNBA
In 2013, after being selected as the number one pick in the WNBA draft, Brittney Griner came out as lesbian. She stated that "being one that's out, it's just being who you are. Again, like I said, just be who you are," (ESPN). Today, she continues. to dominate on and off the court.
These are a just a few of the openly LGBTQIA+ athletes in professional sports. I'm sure, as sad as it is, that there are still many athletes who are scared coming out could ruin their careers. Sporting leagues are trying to shatter this fear by showing athletes that they are supported unconditionally. Having Pride Night as games, selling Pride merch, and sharing Pride messages on social media is helping to foster that community of love and support that LGBTQIA+ athletes need to feel secured and welcomed in the sports world. I hope the sports community continues to progress in LGBTQIA+ acceptance and that more athletes feel safe to come out.
For a list on more openly LGBTQIA+ athletes, visit Business Insider.
Here are some resources to help support the LGBTQIA+ community. I also encourage you to do your own research on LGBTQIA+ in sports and the world at large.
Happy Pride!
How do you support the LGBTQIA+ community?
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