She’s also reached some comfort in sharing her bisexual orientation, which she kept hidden in high school to avoid being singled out. Jessica came out to her ATT teammates with little fanfare (“When they found out, they treated me just the same,” she said) and for the last year, has lived with her girlfriend, who wholeheartedly supports her fight career.

“I don’t put it in any titles,” said Aguilar, “but I’d say when I’ve found the right person — whether it’s a man or a woman — I’d be happy.”

Like fighting, Jessica’s bisexuality is something her mother doesn’t quite grasp. Mother and daughter haven’t talked about it since Jessica first told her a few years ago.”

She asked me where I learned it or saw it,” Jessica said. “I told her you didn’t see or learn it; you felt it. She told me it would pass.”

Aguilar is 14-4 and hasn’t lost in over 18 months. With her win last weekend, she became the Bellator Fighter No. 1 Strawweight in the world. Congratulations to her all the way around!

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Since I came out as a lesbian my junior year at boarding school, I have never witnessed a premeditated hate crime. But that does not mean it has been easy. I am now a sophomore at Amherst College, an elite liberal arts school with what’s advertised as an open-minded student body. When I started at Amherst, I was confident and ready to be out in a new community.

However, upon my arrival, girls told me I was too pretty to be gay. Guys told me I was too hot to be a dyke, or that they would turn me straight. I discovered I was one of the only out varsity athletes at Amherst, and felt isolated. I was bullied by a teammate for my sexuality but did not feel I could speak out. Closeted athletes told me their secrets and then ignored me or talked behind my back. Although much of the homophobia I’ve witnessed at Amherst is often indirect, or even meant to be complimentary to me, it still stings with ignorance. I’ve often wondered: If it is this hard to be an LGBT athlete at Amherst College, what is it like at other campuses around the country?

Now she knows: It’s hit-and-miss. She said various students at Bryant apologized for the apparent homophobia at their school. But others felt so compelled against gay athletes that they would make Bryant the first school ever to have Sheng’s exhibit attacked.

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Augustus has been through a lot between her 2008 and 2012 gold-medal attempts on Team USA. After the last Olympic games, Augustus’s hopes for a WNBA title were cut short after she suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in June 2009. She was forced to sit out for the rest of the season, with plans for a comeback in 2010. Her hopes were dashed again, however, when she learned she had fibroids and needed surgery to have them removed. She said having two health problems in the same year required her to become conscious of her healing and avoiding re-injury.

PHOTO: Minnesota Lynx guard Seimone Augustus (33) drives the ball up court against the Atlanta Dream during the fourth quarter in game three of the WNBA Finals at Philips Arena. The Lynx defeated the Dream 73-67. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-US PRESSWIRE

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I feel very special to run it after 21-years. I know in 2009 I was nearly there, but I was just a little kid. But now I have more experience and with God anything is possible. I just have to pray to keep me going like this.

The former World Champion was the center of controversy when allegations about her gender surfaced in 2009. Widespread speculation claims Semenya is intersex, and she’s since been cleared to compete in women’s track & field. But the episode seemed to take a toll on Semenya. Here’s hoping she can recover and perform well in London.

While she has qualified for the Olympics, she has not been officially named to the South African team. It’s unimaginable that she won’t be placed on the team, as she is their best hope for gold in the event.

PHOTO: Sep 4, 2011; Daegu, SOUTH KOREA; Caster Semenya (RSA) flexes her biceps after placing second in the women’s 800m in 1:56.35 on Day 9 of the evening session of the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Athletics at Daegu Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

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Project director Helen Carroll talks about many of the ways they have opened doors for LGBT athletes and coaches below. 

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I just don’t know if football is that important to [Osemele]. He was raised by women, which bothers me. I mean, how tough can he be? It’s not his fault, but it’s still reality.

When I asked McGinn what the scout meant by “raised by women,” McGinn responded:

He did not elaborate. I do not know. Maybe grandmoms, aunts, sisters. Unsure.

Osemele’s Iowa State profile says he’s the “son of Imelda and Paul Osemele.” We don’t know if the scout meant that he was raised by a lesbian couple, or that McGinn’s thought on grandmothers and aunts is correct. What is completely ludicrous is that a football player raised by women would somehow be automatically less fierce. It’s a little glimpse into the culture of the NFL’s good-ol-boy network; If this scout is bothered by a player being “raised by women,” how would he feel if the athlete was gay? Quite bothered, I’m sure.

PHOTO: Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

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Though, part of me can understand why the protester was so angry with the TV and movie star…Rosie was wearing a New York Giants jersey (and No. 10, Eli Manning, at that). Down with the lesbian!!!!

Hat tip to Towleroad.

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Bozeman was a complete disaster as head coach of the Colonials. The team had been to the postseason each of the previous 18 seasons, going to the Sweet 16 the two years prior to his tenure. Bozeman single-handedly destroyed the program, leading them to a combined 25-61 in his final three seasons. In no three seasons did he predecessor, Joe McKeown, have half the number of losses Bozeman’s team suffered.

He also handled the coming-out of Kye Allums horribly. Instead of rallying the team around Allums, he blamed his trans player for his terrible season two years ago. He said this before the season:

Do I think it was a difficult situation? I think so. But I think it was difficult for Kye, too. We’ve moved on, and this season is not about rebounding from that. This season is about displaying the skill and the discipline that’s necessary to be a successful program.

It was not difficult because Allums was transgender or because he came out publicly. It was difficult because I believe Bozeman is married to his transphobic religion, and because he showed no leadership. A good coach rallies his team around diversity; Men like Bozeman use differences to divide their teams.

We’ll have to see where he ends up as a basketball coach, if anywhere. For now, good riddance to a man who couldn’t fully embrace an athlete struggling with his gender identity.

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Congratulations to Baylor (even if they did knock off Stanford along the way).

PHOTO: April 3, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Baylor Bears players celebrate after the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the finals of the 2012 NCAA women’s basketball Final Four at the Pepsi Center. The Bears defeated the Fighting Irish 80-61. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

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By the way, the tournament was won in a playoff by Sun Young Yoo.

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