Coming Out Stories

Sam Stanley has been trying to figure out how to come out as gay over the last 14 months. With the support of his team, he now comes out publicly.

British player says he has received overwhelming support since coming out.

David Denson is a big hitter in the Milwaukee Brewers Minor League system, and he is gay.

Keegan Hirst of the Batley Bulldogs opens up about being gay in a lengthy interview. “One day, a few months ago, I just thought, ‘You know what? Actually, this is who I am. I’m gay. I felt I could finally be honest with myself."

A Rugby League player will reportedly come out publicly, the first time an active player in the league has done so.

Jesse Taylor comes from a small town in South Dakota. He came out privately for the first time a year ago Saturday. Now a year later he shares his story in hopes of connecting with athletes struggling with their identity.

Casey Bethel found acceptance when he came out as bisexual on his Facebook page. That was after a high school basketball coach told him he could never tell a soul.

Mason Caminiti grew up hating his body. But bodybuilding "transformed my body in ways that I couldn’t fathom" and helped him realize his dreams.

Griffin Hay, a University of Portland runner, looks to work with his coach to form NCAA organization for LGBT athletes

The problem is that you can't come out quietly.

World champion powerlifter and elite bodybuilder "Kroc" Kroczaleski is transgender and genderfluid, and is living as Janae Marie Kroc.

Matt Dils did not know how his small town in Michigan would accept him but other gay athletes helped give him the courage to be himself.

Jon Denton-Schneider used all sorts of excuses to avoid coming out, but realized that being a good teammate meant being honest.

"Before I came out to the world as gay, I was scared I was going to lose a ton of people, but I was wrong."

Eric Mitchell was just a kid when he decided he had to be part of the Olympic ski jumping team. As he grew into his sport, he also realized he couldn't continue to hide the fact that he's gay. Stories from Sochi changed his fear to determination.

Ramona Bachmann, a top player for Switzerland at the World Cup, used the stage to come out publicly.

Nathan Novosel, the former college basketball captain at the Univ. of Rochester, comes out as gay in a column for Teach For America. He is now engaged to be married.

Tony Paul covers baseball for the Detroit News. In the wake of the legalization of gay marriage, he chose to come out on TV.

"If I have one regret," gay former San Jose Earthquakes player Matt Hatzke writes, "it's that I didn't live my life and share the real me with my teammates when I had the chance."

Chris Kelley's coming out in the macho world of rowing was non-traditional, but he has persevered to create safe athletic spaces at Ithaca.