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Maybelle Blair -

Maybelle Blair was a player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), which only existed between 1943 to 1954 while most men were involved in the military during World War II. Her professional baseball career was short-lived and she moved on to a softball league, but her work behind the scenes was instrumental in raising the profile of women in sport. Blair served on the board of the AAGPBL Players Association when it was founded in the 1980s and succeeded in bringing the story of women's baseball into the spotlight. Eventually, a Women in Baseball section was added to the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Blair is now in her nineties, but has been assisting Amazon Prime in producing their new series 'A League of Their Own." The show is an adaptation of the 1992 movie of the same name, but tells the story of the women who played professional baseball during World War II. 

During a press event for the show, Blair surprised the audience by coming out as gay publicly for the first time. She later revealed that she hadn't planned to come out so it was a surprise to her too! “I couldn't believe it because I knew my family might disown me,” she explained. “I didn’t know what would take place, but I thought it was my self respect that I do tell and that these young little girls and boys, you know, shouldn't have to hide what they feel and how they are to have to go through what I had to go through in my day.” Luckily, Blair was met with outpourings of love and acceptance from her friends and family.

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Jake Daniels -

Jake Daniels, a pro soccer player for Blackpool FC, came out publicly as gay, marking a milestone for English soccer. At just 17, Daniels was already creating a legacy by playing in the Championship, which is the second tier of English soccer (below Premier League), and he became the only publicly out pro men's soccer player in England, Out Sports reports. In an interview with Sky Sports, Daniels said he has received huge support from everyone, including his family and teammates. “Blackpool have been absolutely amazing too,” he said. “I am with them every day and I felt safe. My teammates have all been so supportive about it and everyone has had my back. They’ve been asking tons of questions, they have all been intrigued and their reaction has been brilliant. It’s the best thing I could have asked for.”

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Lia Thomas -

American transgender swimmer Lia Thomas' achievements in competitive swimming became a lightning rod for controversy. A student of the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas' star has been rising as she has dominated women’s college swimming during the current season. Since she first rose to fame in December of 2021, she has been the focal point of the ongoing debate about whether or not transgender athletes should be allowed to compete with the teams that align with their gender identity. Thomas has had to overcome discrimination from others in the sporting community, including some of her own teammates, but has valiantly triumphed over adversity. On March 17, 2022, Thomas became the first transgender woman to win a national championship in Division I athletics. She swam her personal best time in the 500-yard freestyle event, finishing a full second ahead of her competitors at 4:33.24. 

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Timothy LeDuc -

Figure skater Timothy LeDuc became the first openly nonbinary American athlete to compete at the Winter Olympics. They first came out as nonbinary in 2021 and competed in Beijing with their partner Ashley Cain-Gribble in February. LeDuc hopes their story will show the LGBTQ+ community that there is a place for everyone in sports. They don't want the narrative to be "Timothy is the first nonbinary person to achieve this level of success in sports." As LeDuc says, "We’ve always been here, we have always been a part of sports. We just haven’t always been able to be open."

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Josh Cavallo -

The soccer world is particularly far behind when it comes to LGBTQ representation. In 2021, the Australian soccer player Josh Cavallo became the first top-tier player to come out as gay. The then-21-year-old posted an emotional video to the team's Twitter account on October 26 to share the news. "Growing up, I always felt the need to hide myself, because I was ashamed. Ashamed I would never be able to do what I love and be gay, hiding who I really am to pursue a dream I always wished for as a kid. All I want to do is play football and be treated equally," he said. His video was met with messages of support from other famous players and Champions League teams like FC Barcelona and Juventus. Cavallo says he wants to inspire others to be themselves and feel comfortable pursuing careers in sport. 

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Luke Prokop -

Sport: Hockey
Nationality: Canadian
Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

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Carl Nassib -

Sport: Football
Nationality: American
Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Reuters

Abby Wambach -

Sport: Soccer

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

© Getty Images

Adam Rippon -

Sport: Figure skating

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

Alison Van Uytvanck -

Sport: Tennis

Nationality: Belgian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

© Getty Images

Amanda Nunes -

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Nationality: Brazilian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

© BrunoPress

Amélie Mauresmo -

Sport: Tennis

Nationality: French

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

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Anastasia Bucsis -

Sport: Speed skating

Nationality: Canadian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

© Getty Images

Andreas Krieger -

Sport: Shot put

Nationality: German (competed for East Germany)

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Transgender man

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Angela James -

Sport: Hockey

Nationality: Canadian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

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Anja Hammerseng-Edin -

Sport: Handball

Nationality: Norwegian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

Special Note: Married to Gro Hammerseng-Edin

© Reuters

Gro Hammerseng-Edin -

Sport: Handball

Nationality: Norwegian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Bisexual

Special Note: Married to Anja Hammerseng-Edin

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Anja Pärson -

Sport: Alpine skiing

Nationality: Swedish

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

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Ari-Pekka Liukkonen -

Sport: Swimming

Nationality: Finnish

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Reuters

Balian Buschbaum -

Sport: Pole vault

Nationality: German

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Transgender man

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Barbara Jezeršek -

Sport: Cross-country skiing

Nationality: Slovenian, Australian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

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Belle Brockhoff -

Sport: Snowboarding

Nationality: Australian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

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Bianca Sierra -

Sport: Soccer

Nationality: Mexican (but American-born)

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

Special Note: In a relationship with Stephany Mayor

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Stephany Mayor -

Sport: Soccer

Nationality: Mexican (but American-born)

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

Special Note: In a relationship with Bianca Sierra

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Billie Jean King -

Sport: Tennis

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

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Billy Bean -

Sport: Baseball

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

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Caitlyn Jenner -

Sport: Decathlon

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Transgender woman

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Caster Semenya -

Sport: Running

Nationality: South African

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

© Getty Images

Célio Dias -

Sport: Judo

Nationality: Portuguese

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

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Chris Mosier -

Sport: Triathlon

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Transgender man

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Collin Martin -

Sport: Soccer

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

Special Note: Pictured in white

© Reuters

Daniela Iraschko-Stolz -

Sport: Ski jumping

Nationality: Austrian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

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Dave Kopay -

Sport: American football

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

David Testo -

Sport: Soccer

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

Special Note: Pictured in yellow

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Diana Taurasi -

Sport: Basketball

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

Special Note: Married to Penny Taylor

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Penny Taylor -

Sport: Basketball

Nationality: Australian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Queer

Special Note: Married to Diana Taurasi

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Donal Óg Cusack -

Sport: Hurling

Nationality: Irish

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

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Eric Radford -

Sport: Pair skating

Nationality: Canadian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

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Esera Tuaolo -

Sport: American football

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

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Fernanda Pinilla -

Sport: Soccer

Nationality: Chilean

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

Special Note: Pictured in red, center

© Reuters

Gareth Thomas -

Sport: Rugby

Nationality: Welsh

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

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Graeme Obree -

Sport: Cycling

Nationality: Scottish (but English-born)

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© BrunoPress

Greg Louganis -

Sport: Diving

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© BrunoPress

Gus Kenworthy -

Sport: Freestyle skiing

Nationality: American (but English-born)

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

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Helen Richardson-Walsh -

Sport: Field hockey

Nationality: English

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Queer

Special Note: Married to Kate Richardson-Walsh

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Kate Richardson-Walsh -

Sport: Field hockey

Nationality: English

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Queer

Special Note: Married to Helen Richardson-Walsh

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Ian Matos -

Sport: Diving

Nationality: Brazilian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

Ian Thorpe -

Sport: Swimming

Nationality: Australian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

Ireen Wüst -

Sport: Speed skating

Nationality: Dutch

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Bisexual

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Jackie Silva -

Sport: Beach volleyball

Nationality: Brazilian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

© Reuters

Jaiyah Saelua -

Sport: Soccer

Nationality: American Samoan

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Transgender woman

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Jason Collins -

Sport: Basketball

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

John Amaechi -

Sport: Basketball

Nationality: English (but American-born)

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

Johnny Weir -

Sport: Figure skating

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay 

© Getty Images

Justin Fashanu -

Sport: Soccer

Nationality: English

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

Kwame Harris -

Sport: American football

Nationality: American (but Jamaican-born)

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

Liz Carmouche -

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

© Getty Images

Louisa Wall -

Sport: Rugby, netball

Nationality: New Zealander

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

© Getty Images

Mapi León -

Sport: Soccer

Nationality: Spanish

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

Special Note: Pictured in red

© Reuters

Mark Foster -

Sport: Swimming

Nationality: English

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

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Mark Tewksbury -

Sport: Swimming

Nationality: Canadian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Reuters

Marnie McBean -

Sport: Rowing

Nationality: Canadian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

© Reuters

Martina Navratilova -

Sport: Tennis

Nationality: Czech, American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

© Getty Images

Matthew Mitcham -

Sport: Diving

Nationality: Australian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© BrunoPress

Megan Rapinoe -

Sport: Soccer

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

Special Note: In a relationship with Sue Bird

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Sue Bird -

Sport: Basketball

Nationality: American, Israeli

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

Special Note: In a relationship with Megan Rapinoe

© Getty Images

Mianne Bagger -

Sport: Golf

Nationality: Danish

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Transgender woman

© Getty Images

Michael Sam -

Sport: American football

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

Nicola Adams -

Sport: Boxing

Nationality: English

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Bisexual

© Getty Images

Orlando Cruz -

Sport: Boxing

Nationality: Puerto Rican

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

Parinya Charoenphol -

Sport: Boxing

Nationality: Thai

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Kathoey (third gender in Thai)

© Reuters

Rachele Bruni -

Sport: Swimming

Nationality: Italian

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian 

© Reuters

Ramona Bachmann -

Sport: Soccer

Nationality: Swiss

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Lesbian

© Getty Images

Renée Richards -

Sport: Tennis

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Transgender woman

© Getty Images

Robbie Rogers -

Sport: Soccer

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

Robert Páez -

Sport: Diving

Nationality: Venezuelan

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

Roy Simmons -

Sport: American football

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

Ryan O'Callaghan -

Sport: American football

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

Shawn Barber -

Sport: Pole vault

Nationality: Canadian (but American-born)

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

Tadd Fujikawa -

Sport: Golf

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

© Getty Images

Thomas Hitzlsperger -

Sport: Soccer

Nationality: German

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

Special Note: Pictured in white

© Getty Images

Tom Daley -

Sport: Diving

Nationality: English

Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity: Gay

See also: The gay and lesbian TV couples we love

© Getty Images