VISABILITY OF PRO PLAYERS COMING OUT

There has never been a “Stonewall Uprising” moment that has allowed LGBTQ+ athletes to feel safe and comfortable coming out en masse. But looking at the graph below you can see that 2013, the year Jason Collins came out and received both public and private support for his courageous decision, the list of out athletes began to grow, many of them becoming vocal advocates for change and acceptance. In honor of Pride Bowl all football players names are in red.

Professional Athletes Come Out EARLY 1970s

• Dr. Tom Waddell is out Olympic decathlete who founds Gay Games based on Olympic Games; 1st Games held in

San Francisco

1975

• Dave Kopay is 1st NFL player outed by newspaper article quoting unnamed NFL player as its source

1977

• Tennis pro Renée Richards comes out as transgender woman

1981

• Tennis superstar Billie Jean King outed when ex-lover files palimony suit; King pushes for gender equality & equal pay; 1973 defeats Bobby Riggs in famous

Battle of the Sexes; 1974 establishes

Women’s Sports Foundation • Tennis great Martina Navratilova comes out as bisexual

1988 • Olympic gold medal diver Greg Louganis outed as both gay & HIV-positive when hits his head & bleeds into water at Seoul

Olympics; 2016 poses for ESPN’s Body

Issue

1992

• NFL player Roy Simmons retires; comes out as gay

1999

• Billy Bean retires from baseball; is 1st pro MLB player to come out; 2014 becomes MLB’s 1st

Ambassador for Inclusion; 2016 becomes VP of social responsibility & inclusion; now VP & advisor to

MLB Commissioner

2002

• Retired NFL player Esera Tualolo comes out as gay; active advocate with

Vikings & NFL for LGBTQ+ community inclusion; 2014 honored with Compete

Sports Diversity’s Legacy Award

2003

• Trailblazer pro soccer player Joanna Lohman comes out while active; 1st female sports envoy for U.S. Dept. of State; works with empowering women & girls through soccer worldwide; 2019 retires from pro ranks, will continue local/worldwide advocacy work

2005

• WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes comes out as lesbian while active player; 2011 gets engaged to a man & marries in 2017 but never admits to being bisexual

2007

• John Amaechi, OBE becomes 1st NBA player to come out after retiring from game

2009

• Rep. Brian Sims, D-Pa, captain of

Div. 1 football team at Bloomsburg

Univ. comes out as gay to teammates, coach & administration; 2012 becomes first openly gay elected legislator in Pa. history • Welshman Gareth Thomas comes out as gay while still playing professional rugby

2010

• Triathlete Chris Mosier comes out as transgender man; 2013 honored as Compete Sports

Diversity’s Athlete of the Year; 2015 becomes first openly trans man to earn spot on Team USA in his identified gender; 2016 is 1st openly trans man in ESPN’s Body Issue; 2018 becomes 1st openly trans athlete to appear in Nike’s Unlimited Courage ad premiering during NBC's primetime coverage of Sochi Olympic games • Kye Allums comes out as transgender man; without hormone replacement becomes first trans man to play on women’s team in NCAA Div. 1 basketball history

2011 • NBA umpire Violet Palmer comes out • Oregon State Univ. women’s softball while still active to marry partner of coach Kirk Walker comes out as gay 20-years when he & partner adopt baby girl • NFL umpire Dale Scott comes out while 2012 • Attorney & pro bowler Scott Norton kisses soon-to-be husband at PBA tournament; shown on ESPN • WBO professional boxer Orlando active; becomes 1st openly gay umpire in pro football • Chip Sarafin, OL for Arizona State Univ. football comes out; 1st gay player in NCAA Div. 1 FBS

Cruz comes out as gay 2015 • Megan Rapinoe, Olympic gold medalist • Olympic silver medal skier Gus & pro soccer player for MLS comes out Kenworthy kisses boyfriend in front of in 2012; 2018 she & girlfriend WNBA live cameras at Sochi Olympics; seen as player Sue Bird become 1st same-sex major step forward in visibility of gay couple on cover of ESPN’s Body Issue; athletes 2019 becomes first lesbian featured in • Figure skater Adam Rippon, Olympic

Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit silver medalist at Pyeongchang becomes issue first U.S. openly gay athlete to win • Wade Davis comes out after retiring a medal at any winter Olympic from NFL play and becomes strong games

LGBTQ+ advocate • Caitlyn Jenner comes out as 2013 • Jason Collins, 1st active NBA player comes out in Sports Illustrated to national attention; he & twin brother Jarron (also NBA player & straight) transgender woman; becomes trans advocate • WNBA coach Curt Miller comes out officially; 1st known openly gay active coach of pro sports team in U.S. honored with the Compete Sports 2016

Diversity Legacy Award; advocate for • Pro hockey player Harrison Browne

LGBTQ+ community comes out as trans man but delays • Pro soccer player Robbie Rogers retires hormone replacement to help women’s from British league to come out; then team win title; 2018 makes full hired by LA Galaxy of MLS & becomes transition & becomes 1st openly trans 1st pro team sport athlete hired as pro hockey player openly gay man • Brittney Griner No.1 pick in WNBA draft; as open lesbian plays for Phoenix Mercury & a team in Russia • Stephen Alexander becomes America's first publicly out transgender high school coach • State-champion Colorado high school track coach Micah Porter comes out as gay; continues to teach & coach • Trans woman Fallon Fox, MMA pro fighter comes out in Sports Illustrated to beat leaked story • Lesbian Liz Carmouche becomes 1st openly gay athlete in UFC • Olympic gold medal diver Tom Daley 2017 • Retired NFL player Ryan O’Callaghan comes out; establishes The Ryan O’Callaghan Foundation to support talented LGBTQ+ youth with scholarships • Active WNBA star Elena Delle Donne & Amanda Clifton chosen as 1st same-sex couple for popular “The Knot’s “Dream Wedding; a landmark in LGBTQ+ visibility • WNBA superstar Diana Taurasi comes out officially when weds former teammate Penny Taylor; 2018 they have a son comes out; 2017 marries Dustin Lance 2018

Black; 2018 have a son • Collin Martin, pro soccer player for MLS’ 2014 • Michael Sam comes out to Univ. of Missouri team; drafted by NFL as 1st openly gay player; retires in 2015 for mental health reasons; becomes LGBTQ+ advocate Minnesota United comes out publicly at team’s Pride Night; posts selfie wrapped in Pride flag • Pro golfer Tadd Fujikawa comes out on World Suicide Prevention Day to address depression and anxiety www.CompeteSportsDiversity.com | COMPETE | 23

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