The most famous LGBTQ+ athletes are some of the greatest sportspeople in their respective fields.
Unfortunately, they have invariably had to overcome prejudice, discrimination, and abuse. While strides have been made towards equality, LGBTQ+ athletes still have a catalogue of challenges to overcome.
It wasn’t easy narrowing this down to a list of five. Numerous others had a case to be included, such as Billie Jean King, Lucy Bronze, Mark Foster, Ian Thorpe, and Thomas Hitzlsperger.
Sue Bird
Amid growing betting interest in the WNBA, Sue Bird, a five-time selection to the All-WNBA First Team, was consistently priced among the MVP favourites by the best betting apps out there like DraftKings and FanDuel. Bird won five Olympic gold medals and played in the WNBA into her forties.
A SUE BIRD DAGGER IN MAYBE HER LAST GAME IN NEW YORK‼️ pic.twitter.com/ADPHj8Rzju
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 19, 2022
One of the greatest female basketball players of all-time, Bird came out in the summer of 2017 when she announced she had been dating soccer star Megan Rapinoe for several months. The couple have been breaking new ground since, becoming the first same-sex couple to appear on the front cover of ESPN’s The Magazine and the first LGBTQ+ couple to host the ESPYs.
Martina Navratilova
The first woman to complete the non-calendar year Grand Slam and a winner of 18 Grand Slam singles titles and 31 doubles titles, Martina Navratilova is one of the most successful tennis players in history. Her tallies of 167 singles titles and 177 doubles titles are both Open Era records. Navratilova was dominant in both singles and doubles play, and holds the record for the most Wimbledon titles with a tally of nine.
Initially coming out as bisexual in 1981, Navratilova later re-identified as a lesbian.
Tom Daley
Bursting onto the scene as a teenager, Tom Daley quickly earned national treasure status. A four-time world champion and an Olympic champion at the Tokyo Olympics in the 10-metre synchronised diving, Daley went out on a high by winning a silver medal at the Paris Games.
“It’s very moving for family.”
Tom Daley’s husband, Dustin Lance Black, says it was “so special” for their sons to see Daley win an Olympic medal.#BBCOlympics #Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/UpMGzuPVBb
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 29, 2024
In December 2013, Daley announced he had been in a relationship with a man since earlier that year. He married Dustin Lance Black in 2017. In an interview in 2018, Daley described himself as, “queer… not 100 percent straight… not 100 percent gay”.
Gareth Thomas
Gareth Thomas has the third-most tries for Wales and the 15th-most all-time. A fullback, wing, or centre during his playing days, Thomas made history when he came out as gay in 2009.
He was the first openly gay professional rugby union player and was horrifically assaulted because of his sexuality in 2018. His autobiography won Sports Book of the Year in 2015.
When he came out, Thomas said, “I don’t want to be known as a gay rugby player. I am a rugby player, first and foremost. I am a man.”
Megan Rapinoe
Two-time World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe has been in a relationship with Sue Bird since 2019. Rapinoe, the winner of the Ballon d’Or in 2019, spent the majority of her club career with OL Reign.
In 2022, Rapinoe was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden, which was the latest in a string of awards for the attacking midfielder.
An advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, Rapinoe’s high-profile relationship with Bird has given the couple an even larger platform to speak out about important issues