There is a consensus in sports that holds professional athletes back from being who they truly are. I think the fear comes from fans as it is no secret that sports fans are an aggressive bunch and this must weigh on the players quite a lot.
Some of the biggest sports in the world have had a lot of racial issues and like some races, the LGBTQIA+ community is discriminated against. In sports, if a player is performing badly or doing something that may upset the fans, they could use their sexuality against them. Although this is sad to hear, this is a fact and as the sport grows and the world we live in changes, we are seeing some athletes wear their sexuality with pride.
Jack Duern
Now, starting this list off with someone you may not be familiar with is exactly what I intended. As a horse racing fan and someone who has bet on horse racing today, yes this very day I am writing this, I want to educate people who aren't familiar.
Jack Duern is the only jockey in Europe who has come out. He came out in 2014 as an apprentice and a decade later he is still open about himself and explains why other jockeys have not come out. The courage he had to come out as a young adult is astonishing and I hope he gets more fans from this post.
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird
Onto a name who has taken the soccer world by storm, Megan Rapinoe may be a slightly controversial figure in the soccer world for her opinions on the sport but she is an LGBT icon. In 2019 when the US women's national team won the World Cup, the attention was on her. This is where Megan Rapinoe really gained stardom, as she did several huge TV interviews and expressed her support for women's rights and LGBTQ rights.
Not onto Sue Bird who is one of the best WNBA players of all time and openly came in 2017. She was always open to players and coaches about her sexuality and when she officially came out, she always said that the timing felt right. In 2017 Rapinoe and Bird announced that they were together and in 2020 they got engaged!
Robbie Rogers
Although soccer is the biggest sport in the world, there are very few footballers who have come out, especially in the UK. There are only a few players who have come out that have played in the UK and one of them is the American Robbie Rogers. The story of his coming out is fairly sad as he came out in 2013 while he played in the UK and retired after his announcement.
At only 26, this a shockingly young retirement in football and he said that he only retired to avoid the media and type scrutiny. After a few months, he came back to soccer and signed for LA Galaxy to be the first openly gay player to play in the MLS.
Why Athletes Need To Come Out
Sports are some of the biggest things in the world and most of the world's population is affected by sports. This includes children and adults alike who are a part of the LGBT community and are too scared to come out. Having celebrities and athletes that are there for people who haven't come out to look up to, is important and athletes taking this step is necessary.
We won't be able to understand the effect that athletes, like Megan Rapinoe, have had on the young LGBT community. Other celebrities in other spaces have come out, like Tyler, The Creator, and made people of that community proud and athlete.