Honorees 41-50: The 2024 Outsports Power 100, the most influential LGBTQ people in U.S. sports

Since his first role with the Phoenix Mercury as communications manager back in 2006, Vince Kozar has come a long way. Now president of the franchise, he has helped make the team a place where WNBA stars such as Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner want to call home. Kozar, who is gay, has spoken about the importance of inclusion: “We were the first local sports organization to have a presence at Phoenix Pride, the first to march in the Pride parade, the first to host a Pride Night at a game, and the first to sign local organization ONE Community’s Unity Pledge in support of non-discrimination in public accommodations and the workplace. And if that made even one person feel like they were seen or not alone or valued or that our games were a safe space, then every bit of it was worth it.”

– Jim Buzinski

For nearly 20 years, Izzy Gutierrez had been a fixture on ESPN until July 2024 when he made the move to Meadowlark Media to team up with fellow ESPN expat Dan Le Batard and perhaps move into his own outlet. At ESPN Gutierrez was a long-time panelist for “Around the Horn” and an NBA reporter. As an out sports media voice, he  has been open about himself and uses his platform to champion LGBTQ people in sports and the community as a whole. He’s shared some of the most personal details of his life, including his experiences with personal tragedy and loss. On Oct. 7, Gutierrez announced he’s getting engaged.

– Karleigh Webb

Raven Jemison was hired as president of the Kansas City Current in the National Women’s Soccer League after stints in the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball. “Rarely are women in revenue-generating leadership roles, such as selling tickets or sponsorships, because there are few role models,” Jemison told Milwaukee Magazine when she was executive vice president of the Milwaukee Bucks about being a gay, Black woman. “A lot of people say, ‘representation matters’ — that is, you can’t be what you can’t see. I say access also matters.”

– Jim Buzinski

Christina Kahrl became Sports Editors for the San Francisco Chronicle in 2021. It was more breaking of ground for Kahrl, an out trans journalist in a high-level position in American sports journalism. She co-founded  Baseball Prospectus in 1996, which led  to her 10-year stint as an analyst-writer-editor at ESPN. “I look at the impact of integrating LGBTQ narratives into sports as my impact,” said Kahrl. “For me, I look at what more can I do to integrate LGBTQ sports narratives into mainstream sports narratives, and to make clear that LGBTQ people are in the mainstream when it comes to sports.”

– Karleigh Webb

Renee Montgomery was a two-time All-American point guard at Connecticut and a two-time WNBA champion. She’s now a decision-maker off the court as co-owner and vice president of the Atlanta Dream. She has taken her opportunity as an owner to enhance the initiatives she started late in her playing career with the Renee Montgomery Foundation. Montgomery says she enjoys the business side of running a team even more than being on the floor, and she relishes her role as an LGBTQ role model for others to emulate. After marrying her partner, Sirena Grace, Montgomery told GO Mag: “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that everything in my life changed for the better since.” A film about Montgomery debuted in October.

– Karleigh Webb

After leading NJ/NY Gotham FC to its first NWSL Championship title, Krieger hung up her boots and is now Gotham’s first ambassador, tasked with growing the club’s profile and women’s soccer in the region. Her inspirational speech at the White House last month was an ideal start. She’s also been zeroing in on representation in video games and is influential as a CBS Sports pundit. Krieger’s role in securing equal pay for the USWNT in 2022 was pivotal and she remains a fierce campaigner, recently describing reproductive rights as “undeniably a queer issue” when addressing the LGBT caucus at the Democratic National Convention.

– Jon Holmes

Jason Collins came out as a gay NBA player in 2013, making history, and he has continued to be an advocate for LGBTQ people in sports since. He has stayed involved with the league through NBA Cares while being an active public speaker. This month, he spoke at the University  of Wyoming, where in 1998 gay student Matthew Shepard was killed (Collins wore No. 98 in his honor). “I love traveling around the country and just hearing stories — hearing people talk and tell their story,” Collins told the Billings Gazette in Montana. “There’s always a common ground that we can find. … It’s not easy for two straight guys to have a conversation about LGBT issues. I get that. But it is very easy for two straight guys to have a conversation about sports. When they say, ‘Hey, did you see that Nets player who came out?’ it’s an easy way for people to have that conversation. That’s ultimately how people’s hearts and minds are going to change.”

– Jim Buzinski

A former AEW World Tag Team and World Trios champion, there is no denying the star power Anthony Bowens has cultivated during his time on the national pro wrestling stage. Bowens was the first out gay pro wrestler to hold both of those championships, but his impact supersedes title reigns. Bowens has been a vocal LGBTQ advocate, showcased his own pride through his gear and integrated being gay into his on-screen character that is both authentic to him and endearing to wrestling fans. And, of course, all the scissoring. He also got back in touch with his baseball roots over the last year, appearing in videos with notable baseball YouTubers and participating in a celebrity home run derby.

– Brian C. Bell

Hannah Readnour is vice president of Footage and Media Licensing for the National Hockey League. She’s been working in this space for 20 years. In her current role, Readnour works with partners on, among other things, contracts and maintaining the NHL brand’s integrity. She is also one of the leaders of NHL Pride, the league’s LGBTQ employee resource group, working with organizations to support the community and speaking out internally at the NHL on the importance of inclusion efforts. She played rugby at Syracuse University, and she’s still active with the group as part of the Women’s Rugby Alumnae Association.

– Cyd Zeigler

Katie Hill has been the Senior Vice President of Communications at the National Football League for over three years. Before that, she worked closely with Barack Obama, both while he was President of the United States and after. She has incredible experience in the public sector, including working for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “I’ve always known that I wanted to make a difference in some way,” she has said. She and her wife, Andrea, live in New York.

– Cyd Zeigler