I have been writing this year about gay high school athletes who have started blogs. They tend to feed off and inspire each other and provide a window into what it means to be a gay teenager in America. The latest is the Transpiration of Andrew, written by Andrew, a senior captain of his varsity [...]
Posts under ‘Coming out’
Aussie field hockey player Gus Johnston comes out in video
It was a month ago that we first stumbled across Aussie field hockey player Angus ‘Gus’ Johnston’s coming out video (after the jump). For whatever reason, it was that story simply fell through the cracks here at Outsports. This weekend the Sydney Morning-Herald and the rest of the world took notice of his compelling 12-minute [...]
Coming out is liberating for 15-year-old high school volleyball player Galen Dodd
Editor’s note: At 15, Los Angeles volleyball player Galen Dodd is likely the youngest athlete who has ever told his coming out story for Outsports. He contacted us and had the full backing of his parents, who helped him edit the story. By Galen Dodd Three dates will forever be ingrained in my mind: July [...]
Andrew McIntosh making rounds as public speaker
Former Oneonta State lacrosse player Andrew McIntosh, whose story Outsports made public in early 2010, is making a difference as a public speaker at schools across the country. He returned to Upstate New York last week and gave a presentation at the University of Albany. Upcoming speaking engagements for the former lacrosse captain will be in [...]
Openly gay college athlete needs other athletes for honors thesis
We have featured Brenner Green before, a college runner in Connecticut who did a great It Gets Better video and also wrote about his coming out experiences. He has a great idea for his senior honors thesis and needs the help of other athletes. I’ll let him explain: Hi, my name is Brenner Green and [...]
Navigating a maze in blue: Two gay Michigan gymnasts share their stories
By Ben Baldus-Strauss and Evan Heiter, with Cyd Zeigler Editor’s Note: Ben and Evan were teammates on the 2010 men’s gymnastics national championship team at the University of Michigan. At the time, Evan was out on the team and had been for a while; Ben was in the closet and would remain there until after [...]
MTV airs Ohio State rugby player Nevin Heard coming out to his team
MTV aired a special for National Coming Out Day yesterday that included a rugby player at Ohio State coming out to his team. The moment is pretty awkward. I’m not sure coming out to your friends or family is something you want cameras there for, it just makes the whole situation more tense. You can [...]
Will any athletes take advantage of National Coming Out Day?
Today is National Coming Out Day. The MLB season is just ending, the NHL is just starting, the NBA is canceling games and the NFL sees the Lions and Bills atop their divisions. What better time for a pro male athlete to come out? And with so many people coming out today, I’m sure your story [...]
Moment #2: Martina Navratilova comes out
Part of Outsports’ series on our 100 most important moments in gay sports history. Tennis, 1981. You know her by one word: Martina. She is not only one of the greatest lesbian athletes of all time, not only one of the greatest tennis players of all time, not only one of the most important lesbians of [...]
Moment #3: Tennis great Billie Jean King outed
Part of Outsports’ series on our 100 most important moments in gay sports history. Tennis, 1981: On Aug. 12, 2009, Billie Jean King was at the White House with 15 other prominent Americans to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was honored for her contributions to fights for gay and women’s rights. When she received [...]
Moment #6: Corey Johnson’s story is told by Bay Windows and the New York Times
Part of Outsports’ series on our 100 most important moments in gay sports history. Football, 2000. OK, it’s is a bit of a cheat: This moment is really two moments that each elevated an important story in our history. In April 2000, New England-based Bay Windows printed the story of Masconomet (Mass.) High School football player [...]
Moment #7: Major Leaguer Billy Bean comes out; still regrets retiring early
Part of Outsports’ series on our 100 most important moments in gay sports history. Baseball, 1999: A restaurant review in the Miami Herald changed Billy Bean’s life. The article, in an oh-by-the-way fashion, mentioned that Bean and his partner in the restaurant were also partners in life. The item caught the attention of the New York [...]
High school swimmer writes a beautiful coming out letter to parents
Last week, I wrote about Sam, a Pennsylvania high school junior, who had started a blog to talk about his coming out process. I spoke with him Saturday and he said he planned on coming out to his sister in a few weeks and his parents by Christmas. After much reflection, Sam decided the time [...]
Jamey Rodemeyer: This is why pro athletes should come out of our society’s last closet
One of the reasons we hear professional athletes don’t come out is that they don’t have a good reason. “They would risk too much,” we hear. “They can just wait until after retirement.” But of course, even then they keep chasing a million-dollar dangling post-career carrot. So they stay in the closet. Let me introduce [...]
Moment #15: Former NBA player John Amaechi comes out
Part of Outsports’ series on our 100 most important moments in gay sports history. Basketball 2007: Amaechi played for two of his five NBA seasons for the Utah Jazz for an owner who, after Amaechi had left the team, refused to show “Brokeback Mountain” in his theaters because of the gay theme. So it was [...]