The homosexual sports community in the United States has one of the highest levels of acceptance and support in the world ^{[1] [2] [3]} and is rapidly growing as of 2020. ^{[4] [5]} General public opinion and jurisprudence regarding homosexuality in the United States has become significantly more accepting since the late 1980s; ^{[6] [7]} for example, by the early 2020s, an overwhelming majority of Americans approved of the legality of same-sex marriages. ^[6]

In regard to sports in the United States, in 2002 researcher Eric Anderson found "more openly gay runners and swimmers than football and baseball players." ^[8] He then hypothesized that this occurred because gay men likely abandoned some sports in favor of sports that were more accepting of homosexuality. ^[8] In 2006, a Sports Illustrated poll of roughly 1,400 professional athletes found that a majority would be willing to accept a gay teammate. As well, professional ice hockey ( NHL) athletes seemed to be the most accepting of such teammates as 80% of its players approved of having a gay teammate. ^[8]

Individual sports

Golf

In 1996, Muffin Spencer-Devlin became the first LPGA player to come out as gay. ^[9]

In 2018, Tadd Fujikawa came out as gay, becoming the first male professional golfer to do so. ^{[10] [11]}

Squash

In 2018, Todd Harrity came out as gay, thus becoming the first openly gay professional male squash player in the world. At the time he was ranked No. 1 in the United States out of all male squash players. ^{[12] [13]}

Tennis

American tennis player Billie Jean King acknowledged her relationship with Marilyn Barnett when it became public in a May 1981 palimony lawsuit filed by Barnett, making Billie Jean the first prominent female professional athlete in the world to come out. ^[14]

Team sports

Basketball

In 2002, Sue Wicks came out as gay, making her the first openly gay person playing in the WNBA. ^[15] Many female players have since come out as gay; for example, Sheryl Swoopes came out in 2005, Brittney Griner came out in 2013, and Elena Delle Donne came out in 2016. ^[16] However, Swoopes later married a man. ^[17]

In 2013, Jason Collins publicly came out as gay. ^[18] President Barack Obama contacted him offering his support. ^[19] In 2014, Jason Collins played for the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA, making him the first openly gay athlete to play in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues. ^{[20] [21] [22]}

Flag football

In 2002, the National Gay Flag Football League was founded. ^[23]

Football

In 1975, former football player David Kopay became the first professional athlete from a major team to come out. ^[24]

Football player Alissa Wykes of the Philadelphia Liberty Belles became one of the first active American athletes to publicly come out as gay when she announced that she was a lesbian in an article in the December 2001/January 2002 edition of Sports Illustrated for Women. ^{[25] [26] [27]}

In the 2014 NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams drafted Michael Sam in the seventh round, the 249th of 256 players selected, ^[28] which made him the first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL. ^{[29] [30]} However, on August 30, St. Louis released Sam as part of a final round of cuts to reduce their roster to the league-mandated 53 players before the start of the regular season. ^{[31] [32]}

In June 2021, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib came out as gay via Instagram, making him the first openly gay active player in the NFL. ^{[33] [34]} He later became the first openly gay player in an NFL playoff game on January 15, 2022. ^{[35] [36]}

Hockey

In 1985, the Los Angeles Blades was organized as the first gay hockey team in the United States. ^[37]

In 2021, Canadian Luke Prokop, who was drafted by the Nashville Predators in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, became the first active player signed to a National Hockey League contract to come out as gay. ^{[38] [39] [40]}

Rugby

In 1998, the Washington Renegades RFC was formed as the first gay rugby team in the United States. ^[41]

Soccer

In 2013, Robbie Rogers publicly came out as gay. ^[18] President Barack Obama contacted him offering his support. ^[19] Thierry Henry, at the time playing in Major League Soccer, was quoted in a column for New York Daily News as saying "he (Rogers) is a human being, first of all. And that’s good enough." ^[19] Later in 2013, Robbie Rogers became the first openly gay man to compete in a top North American professional sports league when he played his first match for the LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer. ^{[42] [43] [44]}

Many female soccer players have been openly gay while actively playing for American teams, such as Joanna Lohman ^{[45] [46]} and Megan Rapinoe. ^{[47] [48] [49]} Megan Rapinoe came out in 2012, while a midfielder for the Seattle Sounders and while on the United States women's national soccer team. ^{[50] [51]}

See also

• Homosexuality in college sports
• Homosexuality in modern sports
• List of LGBT sportspeople
• Transgender people in sports
• Training Rules, a documentary film

References