Pride Month 2020: 7 trailblazing LGBT athletes who use their fame to fight for equality
US soccer legend Megan Rapinoe, Olympic champion Tom Daley, and athletics star Caster Semenya are all out and proud and, along with other LGBTQ+ sports stars, are busy challenging stereotypes and stigma
The world has made some progress towards inclusivity and LGBTQ+ representation, but in the male-dominated realm of sports, there’s still much work to do as many LGBTQ+ professional athletes still have to battle stigma and discrimination.
However, there are out athletes who refuse to be sidelined and have shown that sexuality has nothing to do with skill. Skating fans will not forget the 2018 Winter Olympics, when athlete Adam Rippon showcased not only his figure skating abilities, but also his LGBTQ+ pride and endearing personality, thrusting him into the limelight.
In celebration of Pride Month, here are seven trailblazing sports stars who are paving the way for equality and representation for the next generation of LGBTQ+ athletes.
Jason Paul Collins
Jason became the first active NBA player to come out in 2013. The NBA supported him by selling his No. 98 jersey online, donating all proceeds to the Matthew Shepard Foundation and the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network. Currently, Collins works for the NBA as a community/ NBA Cares ambassador.
Tom Daley
After winning gold in the 10m synchronised event at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, Tom used this moment to call out the 70 per cent of Commonwealth nations (37 out of 53) where homosexuality is still illegal. The British father of one, who is married to Dustin Lance Black, wrote on his Twitter account, “I hope one day every athlete from every nation in the Commonwealth will be free to compete openly as who they are, too.”
Gus Kenworthy