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Someone ought to warn our bullies never to tell these men and women that LGBT people aren't tough.
From boxing, to rugby, to bodybuilding, LGBT athletes are more prominent than ever in high-impact, full contact sport. Akin to the shift of professional sports universally, these badass guys and girls are breaking the glass ceiling with a little extra oomph. Here are some of our favorite rock body pros.
Darren Young
Darren Young is known for being the first openly gay active professional wrestler, and for his anti-climactic way of coming out. When TMZ spotted him in the airport and 2013 and asked him whether a gay wrestler could succeed in WWE, Young laughed and said, "Absolutely. Look at me. I'm a WWE superstar and to be honest with you, I'll tell you right now, I'm gay. And I'm happy. I'm very happy."
Liz Carmouche
Carmouche broke ground in the world of mixed martial arts when she became the first openly gay fighter to join the UFC fighter circuit and competed in the first ever women's fight against veteran Ronda Rousey. This former marine's nickname is Girlrilla -- and we can see why.
Orlando Cruz
Cruz was ranked fourth among featherweight boxers by the WBO when he bravely - and proudly - came out as gay in 2012. He is a former Olympic athlete, who went undefeated for nearly nine years after turning pro. In 2013, he became a member of the first class of inductees into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame.
Jillian Michaels & Jackie Warner
These reality show trainers are not just easy on the eyes - their respective stints on The Biggest Loser and Work Out thrust Michaels and Warner into the media spotlight. Between them, their books, videos, and programs have helped countless people shed pounds and bulk up on pride.
Nicola Adams
A native of England, Adams took the gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the inaugural Olympic Games featuring Women's Boxing as an event. As bisexual, the title also made her the first openly LGBT person to win the gold.
Parinya Charoenphol
For Thai boxer Parinya Charoenphol, it's all about beauty and brawn. In addition to having a career as a top-notch Muay Thai boxer, this transgender fighter is a model as well.
Fallon Fox
Earlier this year, Fox was featured on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, which profiled the controversy surrounding her ability to compete in mixed martial arts as an openly transgender woman. Most notably, Ronda Rousey told TMZ that she would not step in the cage with Fox, based on perceived advantages for Fox. Meanwhile, Fox continues to champion for her right to compete in mixed martial arts and advocates for education and research in comparing advantages for transgender over cisgender women.
Matthew Rush
Some may know this guy from his, um, adult work, but Matthew Rush is also a body builder. Talk about athletic prowess...
Gareth Thomas
The rugby legend who came out publically in 2009 recently released his autobiography titled, Proud. Speaking about coming out, Thomas said, "I didn't come out because I wanted to be the first person to do it and I was going to be a trailblazer, I came out because I came to a crossroads of living or dying and that's why I decided to come out, I wanted to live." He is currently the second highest Welsh try scorer of all time.
Image Credit: YouTube
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