Two athlet recently g out has highlighted the arth of openly gay players the world of U.S. men's profsnal sports, often dubbed "the last closet" for s lack of LGBTQ reprentatn.
Contents:
- MEET THE 16 OUT GAY AND BI FOOTBALL PLAYERS THE NFL’S 103-YEAR HISTORY
- 8 MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO DARED TO COME OUT AS GAY
- HERE ARE EIGHT OUT AND PROUD MALE GAY FOOTBALLERS
- A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL 61 OUT GAY PLAYERS THE WOMEN’S FOOTBALL PREMIER LEAGUE
- WHY THERE ARE FEW OPENLY GAY ATHLET IN MEN'S PROFSNAL SPORTS
- JAKE DANIELS BE FIRST UK MALE FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY SCE 1990
- WHY THERE ARE STILL NO OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE
- WHY ARE MORE FEMALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLERS OPENLY GAY OR BISEXUAL THAN MALE PLAYERS?
- AT LEAST 20 FOOTBALLERS PREMIER LEAGUE AND CHAMPNSHIP ARE GAY BUT THEY'RE AAID TO E OUT SAYS EX-CLUB BOSS
- JAGUARS ASSISTANT KEV MAXEN IS FIRST MALE NFL ACH TO E OUT AS GAY
- JOSH CAVALLO: ONLY OPENLY GAY TOP-FLIGHT MALE FOOTBALLER SAYS FIFA’S ‘ONELOVE’ ARMBAND BAN HAS MA HIM FEEL ‘EXCLUD’
- GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER 'VERY LIKELY' TO E OUT NEXT YEAR, SAYS JT FASHANU'S NIECE
- UNNAMED PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER REVEALS HE IS GAY LETTER BUT SAYS HE N'T GO PUBLIC
MEET THE 16 OUT GAY AND BI FOOTBALL PLAYERS THE NFL’S 103-YEAR HISTORY
Carl Nassib is the first to ever play a down as openly gay, but the rt are still trailblazers. * how many gay footballers are there *
Over the years, Outsports has known of a few other players who are gay but have never e out, even when retired. But tak guts to e out and reveal one’s genr as gay, which is ually an act of urage a world that is not ndned to accept every genr. Even though has already been three s sce Jt Fashanu first publicly me out as gay, there are only a few of them revealg .
The primary reason behd many gay footballers not revealg their sexualy publicly is fear of homophobia on and off the pch. So, many profsnal leagu, teams, and players are raisg their voic to fight back agast homophobia so that gay footballers don’t face backlash while g out. In 2020, durg the San Diego Loyal match agast Phoneix Risg FC, Mart released a story of homophobic sults directed toward him.
One of the hight-profile male football players publicly clarg himself as gay is German footballer Thomas Hzlsperger. Anton Hysen is the youngt son of retired Swedish footballer Glenn Hysen and one of the gay players football. Likewise, he also participated the 7th edn of the realy TV show Lets Dance and beme the first-ever gay to w the ntt.
8 MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO DARED TO COME OUT AS GAY
In 1990, Jt Fashanu beme the first football player to publicly e out as gay. Sce then, only seventeen players have done the same. * how many gay footballers are there *
Likewise, The Jt Fashanu All-stars football special event started Brighton to honor him and promote homosexualy football.
In June 2020, former profsnal footballer Tomas Beattie me out as gay durg an Amerin sports channel ESPN terview. Furthermore, he is one of the send Brish football players to publicly e out as gay after Jt Fashanu did 30 years ago.
HERE ARE EIGHT OUT AND PROUD MALE GAY FOOTBALLERS
Rairs fensive end Carl Nassib publicly me out June 2021, makg him the first openly gay man to actively play the NFL. * how many gay footballers are there *
Therefore, a suable environment should be created through tn as a drivg factor, so gay footballers don’t feel prsured to reveal their sexualy. In June 2021, NFL fensive end Carl Nassib me out as gay a vio posted to his Instagram, addg he donated $100, 000 to The Trevor Project, an anizatn that foc on suici preventn LGBTQ youth after he stggled wh his sexualy for 15 years. "Sce Febary and my big announcement, this has been a whole [lot of] speculatn of the first openly gay football player, but you know what?
A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL 61 OUT GAY PLAYERS THE WOMEN’S FOOTBALL PREMIER LEAGUE
Beg an out gay man and a soccer player is still somethg that’s greeted wh homophobia. See eight out and proud male gay footballers. * how many gay footballers are there *
The athlete quickly ma a name for herself a seri of TV terviews, where she voiced her support of women's rights and LGBTQ rights as an openly gay woman. "I thk female athlet, general, are at the foreont of every prott general bee we're gay, we're women, we're women of lor, we're sort of everythg all at one time, " Rapoe told NBC news 2019.
The thgs you hear as a child—every time you hear someone say 'f----t' or talk bad about a gay guy, or see somethg on TV and make fun of that. " He scribed hidg his sexualy while playg for the Utah Jazz, but said some teammat who spected he was gay were welg about a 2007 terview on "Outsi the L, " Amaechi, who played five seasons the NBA, said he thought there were other gay players the league, but said 's "terrifyg" for some to e out.
WHY THERE ARE FEW OPENLY GAY ATHLET IN MEN'S PROFSNAL SPORTS
Wele to the gayt league all of women's ternatnal sports, or so I believe: the premier league. Women's football (soccer) the US is known for beg slightly on the straighter si, but the exact oppose is te Europe. While makg my WNBA list and NWSL list, there are about double as many… * how many gay footballers are there *
'"But a few months later, he joed the Los Angel Galaxy team and beme the first openly gay man to play a major US profsnal league. I showed jt bee I'm gay don't make me any different or ls of a person, " Denson told the Milwkee Journal Sentel 2017.
"One time, I was the fourth gra and somebody said, 'Oh, bee you skate, you're gay, '" Rippon told Today 2019. Greg Louganis won four gold medals and one silver medal at three Olympic Gam om 1976 to 1988 as a diver, but wasn't until 1994 that he me out as gay.
JAKE DANIELS BE FIRST UK MALE FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY SCE 1990
* how many gay footballers are there *
""If I n show that I'm out and I'm fe, then hopefully the younger generatn will feel the same way, " Grer said the same year, Grer recieved a multi-ln dollar al om Nike, and beme the first openly gay basketball player endorsed by the brand, acrdg to The married her wife, Cherelle, 2019. Perkz/@rlnassib/@rkrelentls)When Kansas State offensive tackle and NFL hopeful Stt Frantz me out to the natn as gay, he shared that his teammat (to whom he'd e out earlier) had warmly received the news, a sign the most alpha of locker rooms may fally be ready for equaly. Roy "Sugar Bear" Simmons, an offensive leman for the New York Giants and Washgton Redsks, beme the send NFL player ever to publicly reveal he was gay.
So Coach Vce Lombardi knew McDonald was gay when he took over learship of the team 1969, but ma clear there would be no discrimatn his locker room, those close to the legend say.
Cornerback Wa Davis, who played preason wh the Tennsee Tans, Seattle Seahawks and Washgton Redsks and spent two seasons wh NFL Europe teams Berl Thunr and Barcelona Dragons, me out as gay 2012, nearly a after his retirement. He would later nfirm his sexualy on CNN and s down wh ESPN to discs the challeng of growg up gay Jamai and playg football while closeted. He later cled to sign wh the Tennsee Tans and Dallas Cowboys before g out as gay at 24, he told Philalphia Magaze revealed to the magaze that he'd dated a male cheerlear at Purdue who had threatened to out him then.
WHY THERE ARE STILL NO OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE
Fifa’s U-turn over the OneLove armband this week reflects a wir lack of support for gay players Brish football * how many gay footballers are there *
The Bachelor star and former football player (who was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted ee agent and was on the practice squad of the Oakland Rairs and the Philalphia Eagl) me out as gay April of 2021, sayg he had fally e to terms wh his sexualy and the "next step all of this was sort of lettg people know. The Rairs leman ma NFL history durg Pri Month 2021 when he me out as gay a heartfelt Instagram post, beg the first active NFL player to e out as member of the LGBTQ+ muny. The Hampton Universy player ma history October of 2022 when he me out as gay an Instagram Story post, beg the first out gay football player at a Historilly Black College or Universy.
However, there have been several pneerg male gay footballers who cid to e out of the closet and proclaim their sexualy to the world. A w for gay rights and helpg to pave the way for other gay players to feel safe enough to e out of the closet. The South Ain player acknowledg that most of his teammat accepted his sexualy, however, he has faced homophobic slurs om opposg teams.
He also said that he has met several closeted gay soccer players Ai, where homosexualy is crimalised several untri.
WHY ARE MORE FEMALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLERS OPENLY GAY OR BISEXUAL THAN MALE PLAYERS?
At the Women's World Cup, 41 players and managers were openly gay or bisexual, yet the men's tournament, none of them were. | ITV Natnal News * how many gay footballers are there *
I don’t wish the hostily I felt on anyone, bee not everyone n survive homophobia a sport like football, ” he told MambaOnle recently.
AT LEAST 20 FOOTBALLERS PREMIER LEAGUE AND CHAMPNSHIP ARE GAY BUT THEY'RE AAID TO E OUT SAYS EX-CLUB BOSS
Openly gay Leeds Uned director David Haigh says players nfid him - and he believ clubs uld benef mercially if stars e out * how many gay footballers are there *
“My advice to a young gay footballer at any level or any standard is jt to be themselv, ” Davis said that same year. The Atralian plays for Alai Uned Football Club and has been the victim of shameful homophobic abe om game-goers and on social media.
In May 2022, Jake Daniels me out at the age of 17 an open letter on the Blackpool Football Club’s webse, beg at that time the UK’s only openly gay active male profsnal footballer. He also acknowledged that “beg gay, or bi or queer men’s football is still a taboo” and that he is likely to face some gree of homophobia the sport.
JAGUARS ASSISTANT KEV MAXEN IS FIRST MALE NFL ACH TO E OUT AS GAY
Kev Maxen, Jaguars assistant strength and ndng ach, is the first male ach a major U.S. men’s profsnal sports league to e out as gay. * how many gay footballers are there *
After stgglg wh his sexualy for years, he me as gay September 2022, makg him the first openly gay player Sttish football sce Jt Fashanu. While makg my WNBA list and NWSL list, there are about double as many nfirmed straight people as there are nfirmed gay people a league, wh the rt beg unnfirmed eher directn.
However, the Premier League, if you aren’t nfirmed gay, you’re probably jt an unknown, bee there were veryyy few nfirmed straight players.
Wh four out gay players on the team, this ranks the middle for gayns, but closer to the top for ter-team romanc, wh Julia Zigtti Olme and Emma Kullberg beg publilly together. If you’re a Leicter fan, I hate to break to you but this is the least gay team the league- at least publicly. Liverpool players Yana Daniels and Jasme Matthews are datg, and the other two out gay players are also public relatnships wh cute uple photos on their stagrams!
JOSH CAVALLO: ONLY OPENLY GAY TOP-FLIGHT MALE FOOTBALLER SAYS FIFA’S ‘ONELOVE’ ARMBAND BAN HAS MA HIM FEEL ‘EXCLUD’
Josh Cavallo, the only openly gay top-flight male soccer player the sport, has told CNN that FIFA’s cisn to ban players om wearg “OneLove” armbands at the Qatar 2022 has ma him feel “exclud.” * how many gay footballers are there *
I hontly don’t know anythg about this team, but there’s a lot of gay players and seems like a fun team to cheer for.
When Nashville Predators prospect Le Prokop me out this week, was the first time an active player unr ntract to an NHL team had ever publicly acknowledged they were gay. Overnight, Prokop's announcement doubled the number of out gay athlet currently playg the untry's four major men's sports — football, basketball, baseball and hockey. Though many retired former players have e out, is more unual for male profsnal athlet to say they are gay while still playg.
GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER 'VERY LIKELY' TO E OUT NEXT YEAR, SAYS JT FASHANU'S NIECE
The league, fans and teammat have shown support for gay and bisexual players. So why is so hard for to rema dog the job we love? * how many gay footballers are there *
Gay male athlet face cultural barriers Part of the reason for the lack of out gay players men's profsnal sports uld be that there are jt fewer of them the game.
Rory Magrath, a rearcher at Solent Universy England, has suggted that 's possible gay men are unrreprented profsnal sports. "Gay men are a fe rource, so they n't exist great numbers every quarter, " Magrath told "Gay men are overreprented some areas, and as a nsequence are gog to be unrreprented sports.
That uld be due to the mascule culture at the center of the major sports, experts say, creatg an environment that is ls welg to gay athlet. Magrath helped thor a study that found that male athlet who me out as gay while still playg sports were largely met wh acceptance by their teammat. Robbie Rogers ma history 2013 when he took the field for the Los Angel Galaxy after as the first openly gay player profsnal U.
UNNAMED PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER REVEALS HE IS GAY LETTER BUT SAYS HE N'T GO PUBLIC
NBA player Jason Colls, who me out 2013 while he was still playg the league, later told NPR " went great" when he scribed the perd after announcg he was gay. After Michael Sam beme the first openly gay athlete to be drafted to the NFL 2014, then-Miami Dolphs safety Don Jon tweeted "horrible, " rultg penalti and a spensn.
David Kopay, a former NFL nng back who me out 1975, was unable to land a profsnal achg job after he announced publicly that he was gay. There are key differenc the cultur of men's and women's athletics While few active players the major men's sports leagu have e out, many female profsnal athlet have said publicly that they're gay, om U. The Blackpool forward Jake Daniels has end s of silence wh men’s football to bee the first player the UK to e out as gay sce Jt Fashanu 1990.
Photograph: Pl Dennis/TGS Photo/ShutterstockDaniels’s revelatn is a strikg landmark that when men’s football is more engaged wh social issu than any recent time, but still unable to ce progrs LGBTQ reprentatn wh the year Alai Uned’s Josh Cavallo beme the only male top-flight profsnal footballer the world to e out as gay, but others are yet to follow. In six months the men’s World Cup will be played Qatar, where homosexualy is illegal, and Cavallo revealed to the Guardian he would be “sred” to play at the tournament, the pnacle of world English football specifilly, the shadow of the talented and unfulfilled Fashanu still lgers over the game. The England ternatnal me out at the end of his reer and was to take his own life eight years later, Fashanu, Jt’s niece, who ns a charable foundatn his name, said that Daniels’s cisn would “e as a huge fort to the many footballers at all levels of the game still secretly livg as gay and who still feel unable to e out”.