By Kelsey Schwab, LCPC, CADC
In honor of Pride Month, I thought we could look into the LGBTQ+ community in sport! The story of the LGBTQ+ community in professional sports has come a long way. For years, athletes felt like they had to hide who they were because coming out could mean losing their careers or being treated unfairly. But over time, some brave athletes started to speak out—like Billie Jean King in tennis and Dave Kopay in football—showing others that it was possible to be both openly LGBTQ+ and successful in sports.
In more recent years, athletes like Jason Collins and Megan Rapinoe have helped bring even more visibility and support to the community. Sports leagues have started to step up too, promoting inclusion and creating safer spaces for all athletes. While there’s still work to do, today’s sports world is becoming more open, with more athletes feeling confident to be their true selves.
Below are a few stories about Luke Prokop, Jason Collins, and Megan Rapinoe as they reflect on how they have navigated coming out and showing the world that you can be out AND part of a team; a major theme is how once they were out, they actually began to play to their best ability as there was no more sense of tension due to keeping in secrets. They also discuss how they have witnessed professional sports, especially in the US, progress into creating safe spaces for all athletes.
Below, you will find an example of how the Olympics paired up with AthleteAlly and Pride House France to produce the GLAAD’s 2024 LGBTQ Paris Olympic and Paralympic Guide. “The guide aims to enhance and equip journalists, creators and storytellers covering LGBTQ athletes to tell their stories fairly and accurately. The GLAAD guide also raises awareness about topics and issues pertaining to the LGBTQ community globally.”
GLAAD.com writes about the 2024 Olympics, “With more than 150 out LGBTQ olympians expected to compete for the gold, this year’s Olympic Games are poised to be a celebration of global unity, athleticism, and cultural diversity on the world’s stage. LGBTQ athletes have likely competed in the Olympics and Paralympics since the very first games in history. Today, more athletes than ever are comfortable being out as their true, authentic selves and are embraced and supported by fans, fellow competitors, and sponsors. Approximately 35 openly LGBTQ athletes competed in the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic games in Beijing and a record-setting 222 out athletes competed in the 2020 Tokyo Games.”
- Prokop Pride: How Luke Prokop Came Out As Gay And Changed The World Of Hockey
- Jason Collins, 10 Years Later: Progress Made, but There’s Work to Be Done for LGBTQ Athletes
- Megan Rapinoe’s visibility shines a light for the LGBTQ+ community
- Lighting the Way Forward: GLAAD’s Paris 2024 Guide on LGBTQ Athletes and the Olympic Games
Additional Resources and Organizations that support the LGBTQ+ community in sport: