20 professional athletes who identify as LGBTQ

Frank OlitoJun 21, 2020, 22:35 IST

Megan Rapinoe.FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images

Throughout history, professional athletes in many different sports have identified as LGBTQ.
Michael Sam, Ryan Russell, and Ryan O'Callaghan are all former NFL athletes who have come out as LGBTQ.
Sheryl Swoopes, Megan Rapinoe, and Billie Jean King are athletes who identify as lesbians.
Caitlyn Jenner, Patricio Manuel, Fallon Fox, and Renée Richards are all transgender athletes.

While Hollywood has slowly become more accepting of the LGBTQ community, some people believe the world of sport still has work to do.

According to a Human Rights Campaign report from 2019, 70% of LGBTQ people do not come out to their teammates and coaches while playing a sport. Additionally, 82% of athletes have witnessed homophobic or transphobic language in their sport, according to the OutSport Survey.

Throughout history, however, there have been athletes who have proudly stood up for who they are — and who have been supported by their teammates and fans.

From the NBA to the NFL, here are 20 past and present athletes who have come out as LGBTQ.

Billie Jean King, a professional tennis player, was outed as a lesbian in 1981.

Billie Jean King. Popperfoto / Getty Images / Matthew Eisman / WireImage

Renée Richards, another professional tennis player, was one of the first transgender athletes.

Renée Richards. Bobby Bank/ Getty

Michael Sam was the first openly gay man to be drafted into the NFL.

Michael Sam. Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

Ryan Russell became the first openly bisexual person in the NFL and in any major professional league.

Ryan Russell Tom Szczerbowski/ Getty

Ryan O'Callaghan came out as gay after retiring from the NFL.

Ryan O'Callaghan. Al Messerschmidt/ Getty

Soccer star Megan Rapinoe is openly gay.

Megan Rapinoe. Getty Images/Molly Darlington

Robbie Rogers was the first openly gay soccer player in a professional league.

Robbie Rogers. Michael Tran/ Getty

Jason Paul Collins was the NBA's first openly gay player.

Jason Paul Collins. Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Sheryl Swoopes was an openly gay woman in the WNBA.

Sheryl Swoopes in 2008. Elaine Thompson/ AP

Patricio Manuel became the first openly transgender professional boxer.

Patricio Manuel. HBOBoxing/ YouTube

Meanwhile, Orlando Cruz became the first openly gay man in boxing.

Orlando Cruz. Alex Menendez/ Getty

Fallon Fox is the first and only openly transgender professional MMA fighter.

Fallon Fox. Cindy Ord/ Getty

Glenn Burke is often credited with being the first gay man in the MLB.

Glenn Burke. AP

Following Burke, Billy Bean is one of the first to publicly come out as gay in the MLB.

Billy Bean. Cindy Ord/ Getty

David Denson was the first active baseball player to be openly gay.

David Denson. Timber Rattlers/ YouTube

Gus Kenworthy is an Olympic skier, and he came out as gay on social media.

Gus Kenworthy. Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Caitlyn Jenner came out as transgender almost 40 years after winning gold at the Olympics.

Caitlyn Jenner. Getty Images

Johnny Weir is an Olympic figure skater, and he's openly gay.

Johnny Weir. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Adam Rippon, a figure skater, was the first openly gay American to qualify for the Olympics.

Adam Rippon. Getty Images

Greg Louganis was an accomplished Olympic diver and is an out gay man.

Greg Louganis. Gabriel Olsen/ Getty

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