Sports gay moments
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Alongside that, we also need to be more sceptical of those in sports who talk a good game about inclusion but tend to fall silent when it matters.
What matters most is us simply showing up as our authentic selves and joining in.
While there were some controversies that trace back to homophobia and transphobia, let’s look back on the good stuff; queer folks crushed these Olympic Games!
The games kicked off with a tableau runway of drag queens recreating a Dionysian bacchanal (not the Last Supper, as many were up in arms about) and Lady Gaga as a headlining performer.
His diving partner Noah Williams kissed him on the cheek on the podium as Daley waved his rainbow towel in the air upon his win. Give it a watch!
Also in December… Brazil’s Joao Lucas Reis da Silva comes out as gay in men’s pro tennis, and is soon named Outsports Male Hero of the Year; Noa-Lynn van Leuven makes her debut at the PDC World Darts Championship and to great relief, is not subjected to any anti-trans jeering by fans; we picked out the positive moments from a bumpy Rainbow Laces activation; Jakub Jankto celebrates Christmas by kissing his boyfriend under the tree; here are Outsports’ 24 most-read LGBTQ sports stories of the year…
What were your memorable LGBTQ+ in sports and sports media moments from 2024?
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France were as gay as could be, and we’re all the better for it. Dora's case is relevant even today, as it points to the binary and restrictive understandings of sex and gender, which continue to persist in sport, making it difficult for intersex and trans athletes to participate and compete.
The Gay Games were initiated by Tom Wadell, an athlete and an activist, who wanted to promote inclusion of out and proud sportspersons. Carl Hester was the only other GB athlete in Team LGBTQ to medal, bringing home a bronze in team dressage.
There were so many inspirational moments and queer and quirky stories from Paris and we enjoyed documenting them all on Outsports.
If Team LGBTQ+ existed across all nations, it would have the eighth most medals out of all the teams competing in this year’s Olympic Games. Going month-by-month, there’s a main selection introduced with a loosely-connected song lyric headline, before we pick out five other assorted news lines…
January: ‘It’s magic, you know, never believe it’s not so…’
Being offered the Sutton United Women job was a fantasy football moment for Lucy Clark, who made history as the first club boss in British football to be publicly out as trans.
However, she was realistic about the reaction to her appointment.
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We’re interested in your content. This was an affront to both female athletes and also made it difficult for trans women to participate in competitive sport.
More established are Proud and Palace, the official group for LGBTQ+ supporters of Crystal Palace which celebrated its 10th birthday with a reception at Selhurst Park.
Beloved queer Team GB diver Tom Daley won his fifth Olympic gold medal in front of his husband and their two children in the men’s 10-meter platform synchronized diving event.
October is marked as LGBT History Month in many countries of the world to acknowledge and commemorate the achievements and history of the LGBTQ+ community.
This move came after the IOC recognized the medical and functional inconsistencies and unnecessary costs of gender testing. For our community, the chats have been essential listening.
‘The Jack Murley Sports Show’ launched in April – an evolution of the podcast but one that retains a familiar format.
The comments are open below, or tag us on social media – you can also check out our 2025 calendar, which shows a wide range of forthcoming events.
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Yet she’s still in the job as 2024 draws to a close, and her team are competitive in the fifth tier.
Speaking to Sky Sports News’ Miriam Walker-Khan in May, Clark shrugged off the negativity and explained how a quote taken from a book by one of her most prominent detractors has a magical effect on her.
“You fail to recognise that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow up to be,” says Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
In her SSN interview, Clark says: “To me, that line is fabulous… I resonate with everything that it says.” The Sutton manager’s confidence continues to inspire an entire community.
Also in January… journalist Mat Oxley calls out homophobia in MotoGP; we try to get clarity after some outlets describe Wycombe’s new signing Richard Kone as an out gay footballer; British ice hockey’s Elite League holds another successful Pride Week – “visibility is so incredibly important,” says Zach Sullivan; Amber Glenn raises a Progress Pride flag after winning the U.S.
figure skating title in Columbus, Ohio; Jordan Henderson’s shambolic short stay in Saudi Arabia ends with a switch to Ajax…
February: ‘Comin’ out of my cage and I’ve been doin’ just fine…’
The title of the TNT Sports documentary ‘Rylan: Football, Homophobia and Me’ might lead you to think it’s a mostly tough watch, but the Buzz 16 production team showed the upbeat side of coming out in the men’s game too.
Shortlisted for a Broadcast Sport Award, the doc highlighted the good work of West Ham’s LGBTQ+ fans group Pride of Irons as well as players and educators Zander Murray and Jahmal Howlett-Mundle, while Matt Morton shared his story of being an out gay manager in non-league.
Murray’s outstanding work in Scotland was celebrated during a fantastic Football v Homophobia Awards gala evening (the event got a rave review from Kick It Out’s Alistair Magowan), and the former striker is now offering workshops to clubs and academies south of the border too, developing the content with Howlett-Mundle.
The latter’s chat with Rylan in the film, in which he described how coming out publicly as bisexual was one of the best things he’s ever done, was particularly heart-warming.
Also in February… the Houses of Parliament hosts the launch event for FvH’s 15th Month of Action; FC Barcelona boldly show their support for LGBTQ+ people on their Arabic language social accounts; non-binary player Caz Simone is named the worthy winner of the Football Black List’s LGBTQ Award; lots of EFL clubs produce content about meaningful conversations, as part of the league’s Rainbow Ball activation for LGBT+ History Month; Warrington teenager Amelia Short courageously shares her story of being trans in cricket on Sky Sports, written by Evie Ashton…
March: ‘Summer in the city where the air is still…’
The U.K.
has so many inclusive sports clubs and teams doing wonderful work, but it’s never hosted a major international multi-sports event for the LGBTQ+ community. His coming out has been one of the most influential and powerful moves in the recent times as it has helped other LGBTQ+ athletes open up about their sexuality.
The entire ceremony had conservatives clutching their pearls, but overall perfectly kicked off what turned out to be a very gay Olympics—and the most viewed ceremony since the 2012 Olympics in London, England, with nearly 29,000,000 viewers worldwide.