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Sports

The Advocate brings readers the latest news from the world of gay sports. Follow the most recent developments about the people, policies, and players who are shaping national and international dialogue about athletes and the LGBT community. Read about Michael Sam, Jason Collins, Brittney Griner, Darren Young, Johnny Weir, Fallon Fox, and more luminaries of the gay sports arena who are trailblazers in basketball, football, soccer, baseball, hockey, tennis, swimming, track, and golf. Find out about upcoming and past Olympic Games, and how lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender athletes are helping to advance the marathon of equality on an international scale.

Brittney Griner
News

Brittney Griner reveals she considered suicide while in Russian captivity

The WNBA legend opened up to Robin Roberts about the hopelessness she felt under the conditions she had to endure.

The Coyote, San Antonio Spurs; Burnie, Miami Heat; Clutch the Bear, Houston Rockets
Sports

The top 10 gayest NBA mascots, ranked

Sports are already pretty homoerotic, and these mascots seal the deal.
Rob Kearney
Sports

‘World’s Strongest Gay’ retiring from professional strongman competition

Rob Kearney came out of the closet in 2014 when he started dating his now-husband.

Candace Parker queer WNBA player LV Aces holding her son Airr playing against NY Liberty
Sports

Candace Parker, queer WNBA legend, is retiring 'privately with the ones I love'

Parker, who is also a mom of two with her wife, Anna Petrakova, announced she will not be returning to the game.

Natalie Ryan transgender woman professional disc golf player
Crime

Terrorist threat stops Nashville disc golf tournament with transgender player

Somebody threatened violence against Natalie Ryan over her participation in the 2024 Music City Open.

Transgender woman swimmer Lia Thomas lesbian womens soccer star Megan Rapinoe trans male swimmer Schuyler Bailar queer WNBA basketball player Sue Bird
Sports

Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird, and more urge NCAA to stand up for trans inclusion

They and hundreds of others have signed on to a pro-inclusion letter.

The Tip Off: A beginners guide to the WNBA
Sports

The Tip Off: A beginners guide to the WNBA

This simple guide will help new WNBA fans stay in the know!

lesbian sports icons Sue Bird Megan Rapinoe producing queer soccer romance TV show Cleat Cute based bestselling novel Meryl Wilsner
Arts & Entertainment

Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe are producing a queer soccer romance for TV: 'Bold, sexy and fun'

Cleat Cute is based on the best-selling novel by Meryl Wilsner.

photo gallery queer women 2024 WNBA womens professional basketball league
Sports

Meet all 37 of the queer women in this season's WNBA

These players may just make the upcoming season the best yet!
Cherelle wife Brittney Griner host Queen Latifah speak onstage 54th NAACP Image Awards 2023
Sports

Brittney Griner and her wife, Cherelle, are expecting! Here's when baby Griner is arriving

Brittney Griner and her wife Cherelle have announced they're expecting, and the couple's "favorite human being" is almost due!

Korbin Albert Womens Champions League womens soccer european football Megan Rapinoe celebrates winning 2019 FIFA Womens World Cup
Megan Rapinoe

Here's why soccer fans are booing USWNT player Korbin Albert

Even Korbin Albert's teammates are distancing themselves from the player in light of her social media posts mocking queer people.
Congresswoman Nancy Mace NCAA champion basketball coach Dawn Staley
Politics

GOP Rep. Nancy Mace gets roasted for attacking her state’s NCAA champion Dawn Staley on transgender players

Ahead of her state’s prospect to win a national championship, the South Carolina Republican attacked the famed basketball coach for her inclusive stance.

Ugandan transgender basketball player Jay Mulucha teammates was expelled from university for sexual identity plays gay games 2018
Sports

Small-college association bans all transgender women from women's sports

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' new policy will go into effect with the 2024-2025 school year.

Dawn Staley
News

University of South Carolina coach Dawn Staley says she supports transgender athletes in women's sports

"If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports...you should be able to play," Staley said.

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gay college basketball head coach Matt Lynch
Sports

The success of Matt Lynch: How a gay basketball coach led his team to victory

Lynch’s story is something out of a Hollywood feel-good movie: A queer basketball coach turns a failing sports team into would-be champions.

boys high school track meet start line Wisconsin Democratic governor Tony Evers veto bill prohibit transgender athletes
Politics

Wisconsin’s Democratic governor vetoes Republican transgender sports ban bill

The Democrat stood in the way of a law that Republicans wanted to have enacted targeting the trans community.

Former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner
Sports

Former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner supports New York policy banning trans women from sports

LGBTQ+ advocates are stunned by the transgender woman’s ongoing stance against the inclusion of trans people in many facets of public life.
A person rollerskating
News

This women’s roller derby league is standing up for trans athletes by suing their county

Under a new Nassau County executive order, "female" teams with transgender athletes will be outright denied permits to use local facilities.

Trans musher Apayauq
Sports

Meet the first trans musher in the Iditarod race

Relive Apayauq's epic journey across the tundra.