In the world of sports, Black LGBTQ+ athletes are heroes in the culture for their undeniable resilience and unwavering authenticity. Along with their adroit skills in their respective sports, Black LGBTQ+ athletes have risen above discrimination, xenophobia, and biases while courageously living their truths. Their presence is a testament to the fact that Black athletic excellence knows no boundaries of sexual orientation. Undoubtedly, their powerful stories embody the best of the human spirit. To celebrate Pride Month, here are 10 Inspiring Black LGBTQ+ Athletes Who Changed The Game.

Glenn Burke

An often unsung hero of the LGBTQ+ movement, Glenn Burke was a pioneer as the first Major League Baseball (MLB) player to come out as gay publicly. In 1982, three years after retiring from Major League Baseball, Burke announced in an interview with Bryant Gumbel on NBC's TODAY. During his brief playing career (1976-1979 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics), he was known to be openly gay by his teammates, coaches, and management. He also is credited with creating the "Hi Five" after celebrating with teammates. But his sexuality caused him to endure discrimination and ultimately shortened his career. Reportedly, the Dodgers' management offered him money to marry a woman, but he refused. Although Burke died from complications related to AIDS in 1995, his courage will forever be the standard. In 2013, he was posthumously inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame.

Jason Collins

Jason Collins is a trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community as the first openly gay male athlete to play in any of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States. Collins came out while a member of the Brooklyn Nets in 2013 and announced with an essay in Sports Illustrated.

“I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation,” Collins wrote. “I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different." If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand.”

Since retiring in 2014, Collins has married his long-time partner, Brunson Green, and serves as an NBA Cares Ambassador, working to promote goodwill on behalf of the league worldwide.

Michael Sam

Michael Sam made history when he became the first publicly gay player to be drafted in the NFL by the St. Louis Rams in 2014.. A unanimous All-American and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Defensive Player of the Year at Missouri, Sam recalled telling his teammates about his sexual orientation for the first time.

“I looked in their eyes, and they just started shaking their heads — like, finally, he came out,” Sam told the New York Times about his experience.

Currently,  Sam is an author, motivational speaker,  and advocate for mental health awareness. 

Brittney Griner

A staunch public advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, Brittney Griner came out as a lesbian shortly after being the first overall pick in the WNBA Draft in 2013. In an interview with ESPN, Griner, at 22 years old, said she believes people should be themselves.

"I've always been really open about my sexuality and who I am. I never thought a big coming out was necessary,” Griner said.

After an illustrious collegiate basketball career at Baylor University, where she ranks sixth on the NCAA Division I women's all-time scoring list with 3,283 points, she went on to star in the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury.  Griner currently plays for the Atlanta Dream.

Candace Parker

A basketball legend, Candace Parker has garnered numerous accolades while starring at the University of Tennessee, in the WNBA, and on the Women’s National team. In 2021, Parker revealed that she had been married to Anna Petrakova for two years and that they were expecting a child together in an Instagram post. 

“Happy Anniversary, Моя жена! 2 years ago, I got to marry my best friend in front of our close family and friends. My heart could have exploded. I cried like a baby ....To know me or you is to know our love. This journey hasn’t been easy,” Parker’s post read. “I am proud of us and what we have built and who we have grown to become both individually and together.”

Now retired and president of adidas Women’s Basketball, Parker is the mother of daughter Lailaa and sons Airr Larry and Hartt Summitt with her wife, Anna.

John Ameichi

After playing several years in the NBA and throughout Europe, John Amaechi became the first former NBA player to come out as gay publicly. He shared his truth in his memoir Man in the Middle. Since his retirement, Amaechi has been an outspoken critic of homophobia in sports and works tirelessly to promote inclusivity for LGBTQ+ athletes. In 2014, he was inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame. Today, Amaechi works as a psychologist and consultant with his company, Amaechi Performance Systems.

Kye Allums 

In 2010, Kye Allums became the first openly transgender NCAA Division I college athlete as a member of the George Washington University Women’s basketball team. Allums is the founder of Project I Am Enough, which encourages other LGBTQ individuals to come forward and talk about their life experiences.” In 2015, she was inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame.  Today, Allums is committed to fighting for inclusion and equality as a transgender advocate, artist, and mentor to LGBT youth.

Sheryl Swoopes

Sheryl Swoopes is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. She led the Texas Tech Lady Raiders to their first and only NCAA National Championship in 1993, won four consecutive WNBA titles with the Houston Comets from 1997-2000, and earned three Olympic gold medals. In 2005, Swoopes went public with her sexuality and shared that she was in a relationship with her then-partner, Alisa Scott, a former Comets assistant coach. At the time, Swoopes was the most famous LGBTQ athlete in the world. Since initially coming out, the Hall of Famer has been in relationships with both men and women, and has described her sexuality as bisexual or fluid.

Derrick Gordon

As a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts (UMass), Derrick Gordon became the first openly gay men's basketball player in NCAA Division I history to play in a game in 2014. When he transferred to Seton Hall, Gordon was also the first player in NCAA history to play for three different teams in the NCAA March Madness men’s basketball tournament: Western Kentucky, UMass, and Seton Hall. After playing pro basketball overseas for several years, Gordon announced his retirement in 2025.

“Along the way, I inspired a lot of people, and I will continue to keep being the trailblazer that I am,” Gordon wrote on Instagram. “I will always love the game of basketball, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. Memories that will last forever.”

Gordon remains committed to being a voice for LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion.

Fallon Fox

Fallon Fox is a former mixed martial artist (MMA) and the first openly transgender MMA fighter. Coming out as transgender in March 2013, she had already competed in several professional women's MMA fights. In 2006, she underwent gender reassignment surgery. After coming out, Fox spoke about the support she received that outweighed the negativity she went through.

“It took me about a year to understand and to feel the support from the transgender community. Because heck, they’re scared. Some of them support me, but they’re scared of showing up at my fights because of this,” Fox said. “But I did have a fight where people came to support me, and that’s all I needed. I needed to know for certain that I had someone I was fighting for besides myself.”

Now retired from MMA, Fox advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the sports world.