More and more famous people are not afraid to talk about their bisexuality. It is more common for athletes to come out after their career ends, but some make public confessions while actively performing. The planet strives for openness and such things should not come as a surprise.
One prominent member of the LGBT community is American Brittney Griner. The basketball player is an openly lesbian. Unfortunately, the US representative ended up in a Russian prison because she brought 0.8 grams of vape liquid with cannabis extract into the country. American authorities are actively fighting for her release.
Below the text lists the names of ten famous athletes who have openly declared bisexuality. Among them are Olympic champions and legends in their respective disciplines. By the way, on request “horse race tips India” sports fans can learn not only interesting facts about the lives of famous athletes but also learn how to make correct bets on popular sports disciplines.
Thomas Hitzlsperger – football
This German player 2014 became the first famous football player to reveal his sexual orientation. Hitzlsperger made a cameo just before his retirement. The footballer attributed his act to the fact that the topic of gays in sport was ‘simply ignored. The player has become actively involved in LGBT propaganda.
Hitzlsperger has had a busy playing career. His main achievements:
- winning the Bundesliga with Stuttgart;
- 52 games for the German national team;
- successful performances for Aston Villa, Everton, Wolfsburg, and Lazio.
The player’s decision to come out as gay was supported by his partners in the German national team. Forward Lukas Podolski said the gesture was brave and Bundesmaft coach Joachim Löw said Thomas deserved nothing but respect.
Martina Navratilova – tennis
One of the most decorated female tennis players in history stopped hiding her bisexuality in the early 1980s, soon after Navratilova left the socialist Czech Republic and became an American citizen. The sportswoman herself later recalled that she had already stated that she was bisexual when she applied for official status in the US.
The consequences of her coming out were not pleasant for Navratilova. Some potential sponsors refused to sign Martina precisely because of her homosexuality. In the 1990s, tennis players became active in the LGBT community and became involved in defending their rights.
In 2016. Navratilova proposed to her girlfriend Yulia Lemigova right on the big screen during the men’s US Open semifinals. The couple planned to get married in Florida, but the state had a ban on same-sex marriage at the time.
Amelie Mauresmo – tennis
The French tennis player revealed she was a lesbian in 1999, before the Australian Open. Mauresmo noted that coming out was accompanied by inner turmoil and a barrage of criticism from outside. Amelie has never had trouble identifying herself, but she did not expect the news to “bomb” the press.
Mauresmo officially came out in 2006. At that point she was at the height of her fame: she had won two Grand Slam tournaments and was interim number one in the world rankings. The Frenchwoman said she has never once regretted her decision. The tennis player has been attacked by her rivals: Martina Hingis called her rival “half a man”.
Barbara Jezersek – skiing
The skier was born in Slovenia but changed her sporting nationality to Australian at the age of 30. She competed at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver (2010) and Sochi (2014).
At the 2014 Olympics, she was one of six athletes with non-traditional sexual orientation. She came out right before the Sochi Olympics, earning her a lot of praise and respect.
Anja Persson – alpine skiing
The Swedish athlete is an alpine skiing legend. Anja Persson has won a total of 17 individual medals at World Championships and Olympic Games. The alpine skier is an Olympic champion and seven-time world championship gold medallist. She ended her career in 2011.
In June 2012. Pearson has said in a live broadcast on Swedish radio that she has been in a relationship with a woman for the past five years. The skier’s girlfriend’s name is Philippa Radin. The couple has a son named Elvis, who was born on July 4, 2012. The official marriage between Person and Radin was registered on 2 August 2014. Mona Sahlin, former leader of the Social Democratic Party of Sweden, attended the ceremony. In May 2015, Person and his wife had a son, Maximilian.
Megan Rapinoe – football
Megan Rapinoe is an icon of women’s football in the world. In 2020, the American was ranked by Forbes as one of the top 100 most powerful women in the world. Rapinoe’s most notable achievements in her sporting career are:
- best female footballer on the planet in 2019;
- gold at the 2012 London Olympics as part of the US national team;
- won the World Championships in 2015 and 2019.
Rapinoe is known on the planet not only for playing football but also as an activist in various LGBT movements. In 2013. Megan received an award from the board of directors of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Centre. The athlete has sponsorship contracts with many brands, including Procter and Gamble and Nike.
Rapinoe knew she was gay in her freshman year of college. She came out publicly in July 2012 in an interview with a well-known publication. The footballer revealed that she had been in a relationship with Australian player Sarah Welsh since 2009. After about five years together, Rapinoe and Welsh ended their relationship in 2013. Megan’s next partner was music artist Sera Cahoon. In 2015, the couple announced their engagement, but it didn’t come to fruition. On 20 July 2017. Rapinoe announced an affair with basketball player Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm.
Ian Thorpe – swimming
The legendary Australian swimmer has admitted he is gay, after years of denying the fact. The coming out happened in 2014 in a candid interview with Michael Parkinson. Thorpe also told his interlocutor about problems with alcohol, drugs, and depression. Interestingly, in an autobiography published in 2012, Ian Thorpe actively denied his bisexuality.
In 2016, the Australian swimmer appeared at the Mardi Gras Film Festival as part of a group of star gay athletes. Thorpe then admitted he would have made a cameo appearance sooner, but it took him a long time to get used to his bisexuality.
Nicola Adams – boxing
A British athlete became the first ever Olympic gold medallist in women’s boxing. In her home city of London, Nicola Adams defeated China’s Jen Qianqian in the 51kg final.
The Briton’s career lasted only 2 years but she left the ring undefeated. Even during her performances, Adams was questioned about her sexual orientation. The athlete immediately stated that she is a lesbian. Adams is not only the first LGBT woman to win an Olympic gold medal, but is also the most influential person in the British LGBT community.
Daria Kasatkina – tennis
The athlete openly announced her homosexuality in the summer of 2022. At the time, Kasatkina was Russia’s number one ranked player, ranked number 12 in the WTA world rankings. Darya, who lives permanently in Spain, was chosen by the Russian tennis player Natalia Zabiyako, who left for Canada.
In Russia, there was a strong reaction to the tennis player’s announcement. Under sanctions and public pressure, Daria Kasatkina is seriously thinking about changing her sports citizenship.
Luke Prokop – hockey
Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop made a statement in the summer of 2021 that he is gay. The case is the first in NHL history involving a player with a current contract. Before Prokop’s announcement, no hockey player in the league had made a cameo appearance.
The 19-year-old hockey player confessed on his Instagram account. Prokop believes that only his real life will allow him to fully reveal himself in the NHL. The player hopes that his example will allow others in overseas hockey to come out of the shadows.
Prokop was selected by Nashville in the third round of the 2020 draft. Today, the hockey player has an existing three-year entry-level contract on his hands.
The number of LGBT people in sports is steadily increasing every year. Every player who comes out in the West receives public support and acceptance from partners. In other countries and parts of the world, such openness is hardly possible: acceptance entails harassment and constant insults. It is to be hoped that the situation will change in the coming years and that sexual orientation will not be a barrier to a successful career.