There have been a number of out, professional women athletes before him.Although his coming out in Sports Illustrated is big news, NBA star Jason Collins is not the “first openly gay athlete in professional North American team sports,” as some have claimed. Claiming as much implies that either women’s sports don’t matter as much (or don’t exist at all), or that coming out is somehow less of a big deal for professional athletes who happen to be women. Here are just a few of them:
- Retired WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes, who came out in 2005 when she played for the Houston Comets. (She later married a man.)
- Brittney Griner of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.
- Chamique Holdsclaw, former WNBA player most recently with the San Antonio Silver Stars.
- Megan Rapinoe, member of the US Women’s National Team, now playing soccer professionally in France.
- Lori Lindsey, USWNT member in the 2012 Olympics who currently plays for the Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League.
There have also been a number of out stars in individual sports—including Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova in tennis and Orlando Cruz, a professional boxer.
There have also been other male professional athletes in team sports who have come out, even if they’re not in the “big four” professional sports—like Andrew Goldstein, the goalie for Major League Lacrosse’s Long Island Lizards.
Interesting quote from one of the articles:
“One of the things I wrote back then was this: The concept that sexuality is not just two polar opposites — heterosexual and homosexual — but lies on a spectrum, is a theory that has always been grasped to some degree. It came more to the forefront in American culture with Alfred Kinsey’s reports in the late 1940s and 1950s, when he introduced the zero-to-six “scale” and the then-shocking concept that not all people actually know where they are on the scale. Nor does everyone always stay in the same place.”
People should remember this when they try to put people into a “box”
To be fair, on the news shows I watched they said first out NBA basketball player.
So, I was asked to make a Transgender 101 presentation/PDF for Three3littlebirds, would help her class. I ended up making this presentation, and I thought I’d show you fine folks what the end result turned out to be.
this wins over other pro-gay commercials because you had no idea he was gay and then you can’t tell which one is his husband
they are showing them as people
not as gays and straights
fuckin love this commercial
can we just talk abotu the fact that the husbands arent even bringing the drinks over theyre just standing there next to the drinks and chatting
fuckin useless husbands
I KNOW RIGHT?
Guys, this is my little brother, Reese. He just turned eight last March, and he is in second grade. He had found that he prefers guys to girls. When he told his friends that at recess, they threw rocks at him. Rocks. He came home crying, saying that his friends had called him names like “faggot” and “homo”. Second graders called him these names. I explained to him that it is perfectly okay to be gay, and that I will still love him no matter what. Unfortunately, my parents don’t agree. He’s been set apart from the family and his friends for his sexuality, that he has no control over. I’m not doing this for notes or to gain followers. I’m doing this to show Reese he will be accepted by many people no matter what sexuality he is. Reblog if you support my eight year old brother, no matter his sexuality.
My followers better all reblog this.
There should be more notes
REBLOG FOLLOWERS.
As long as you’re willing to love, you’re alright in my book <3
i fucking love this.
This is amazing <3
No H8
<3If you don’t rebolg this:
<3 Love knows no gender <3
Homophobia: The fear that another man will treat you like you treat women. Andrew Sullivan.
(via goldengatefridge)
