OUT & UNSTOPPABLE: BLACK GAY ATHLETES BREAKING SPORTS' OLD GUARD
Jason Collins: Redefining NBA Masculinity
As Pride Month commences, it is a necessary time to reflect on black male athletes who dared to challenge the intersection of race, masculinity, and sexuality in sports for the sake of staying true to their identity. Former NBA player Jason Collins, in 2013, interviewed with Sports Illustrated, where he came out as a gay NBA player. His famous quote from the interview is “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m Black. And I’m gay.” Even though Collins was the first to come out as gay in the NBA, there have not been any players in the league who have come out since then. Collins was known for his physical play, and as he put it in his conversation with Sports Illustrated, his behavior on the court did not check the boxes of gay stereotypes. Essentially, his masculine identity was greatly reflected in the unsung hero-like plays he made on the basketball court, which did not show up in the stat sheet. Further, Collins’s courage to redefine his masculinity as a black gay NBA player is worth further context.
The Intersectional Cage: Race × Sexuality in Sport
Eric Anderson and Mark McCormack’s 2010 article, “Intersectionality, Critical Race Theory, and American Sporting Oppression: Examining Black and Gay Male Athletes,” analyzes why athletes who are both black and gay often are more harshly marginalized than athletes who carry just one of those identities. Despite the perceived outcomes of sports participation in America, Anderson and McCormack view sports as a social institution that defines masculinity. When black professional athletes come out as gay, it is not a mere personal decision but also threatens the perception of black masculinity within the locker room. With black male bodies often being hyper-masculinized and gay male bodies taking on a feminine stigma, when one athlete takes on both, they are deemed non-existent in the greater sports binary conversation. This dynamic often discourages more stories similar to Collins from emerging.
Moreover, Anderson and McCormack use intersectionality to shed light on the boundless identities that professional athletes take on, which are often consolidated in terms of race and sexuality, making it difficult for black gay professional athletes. Additionally, critical race theory, which is heavily influenced by the black experience, encourages one to recognize that the unwritten rules on what constitutes a professional athlete have not been established by happenstance, but rather by a system that dates back many generations, essentially to keep professional athletes in line. Ultimately, the black gay professional athlete is fighting not just two separate wars but instead one against a hyper-masculine system that at every turn reinforces itself.
Michael Sam: Shaking the NFL’s “Man’s-Man” Myth
Former NFL defensive lineman Michael Sam was a dominant player at the University of Missouri, winning major awards, including SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 and First Team SEC honors. He was selected in the 7th round of the NFL Draft, 249th by the St. Louis Rams. Before the 2014 NFL Draft, Sam had come out as gay. His announcement prompted many media pundits to question whether he would be drafted at all, with concerns about his locker room presence. Sam’s disclosure two weeks before the 2014 combine “tested the NFL’s mindset” on inclusion, according to NFL senior writer Peter King (King, 2014).
When the NFL Draft coverage camera panned to Sam, and after he got the call that the Rams would draft him, he was seen kissing his white male partner. Millions of people watch the NFL Draft. It is the league’s most highly anticipated event, second only to the Super Bowl. Due to its physicality, football is often seen as a “man’s man” sport.
With Sam not only coming out as gay but also doubling down and expressing his love for his partner for the entire football world to see, it put on display that the league's unwritten rule ideals would be faced with great challenge as the first gay NFL player would be entering the league.
Although he was allowed entry into the league, Sam was cut eventually by the Rams after the preseason in 2014. The Dallas Cowboys' practice squad picked him up but subsequently waived him. Regardless of your opinion on Sam’s preference in a partner's race, he is seen in some instances as a victim of the masculine narrative that the NFL tries to protect in favor of maintaining locker room synergy. How does a former SEC player of the year get cut by two teams?
Khalen Saunders: Building Inclusive Fields for Tomorrow’s Players
New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Khalen Saunders is launching an LGBTQIA+-friendly football camp for youth in partnership with GLAAD and the NFL Pride Football Combine. Although Saunders is not a member of LGBTQIA+ he is hoping to create an environment where the next generation of aspiring football players can feel comfortable being open and honest about their sexual orientation and preference. Saunders, in the announcement of the camp acknowledged that the NFL can be "heterosexual dominant.” In an interview with NFL Network’s show Good Morning Football, Saunders expressed that “Football is for all.”
"Being an ally is more than just saying I support, but it's also showing up," Saunders said. "Being in the NFL is very male-dominant and heterosexual dominant and it feels as though there's not really a space for the LGBTQ community."
Although this has no direct ties to Sam and his experience, Saunders is at least doing his part in helping to create more inclusive environments within the NFL landscape. However, there have not been any openly gay football players since Sam.
Fred Rosser: Pride Enters the WWE Ring
Fred Rosser, aka Darren Young, was the first WWE-signed professional wrestler. In a TMZ interview in the days leading up to the WWE pay-per-view event SummerSlam in 2013, Rosser admitted to being gay. WWE released a statement in support of Rosser and even received support from fellow wrestlers via social media. In WWE’s statement, they shared, “WWE is proud of Darren Young for being open about his sexuality, and we will continue to support him as a WWE Superstar.” WWE even commended Rosser for his work out of the ring, being a part of anti-bullying campaigns in Los Angeles, encouraging positive environments for students regardless of age, race, and sexual orientation.
Although WWE differs from the NBA and NFL, Rosser was able to obtain adequate support. While wrestlers like Pat Peterson and Orlando Jordan have since left the WWE after coming out as bisexual men, Rosser is still an active professional wrestler.
From Spectacle to Standard: Opening the Door for Black Gay Pros
There are no current openly black gay players in either the NBA or NFL. Players who may be gay but are afraid to come out due to what Michael Sam experienced in the NFL Draft. The need for more initiatives around mentorship, LGBTQIA+ ERGs, and even collective bargaining agreement language that helps widen the doorway for more professional athletes to not only come out as gay but also to feel supported. Black professional athletes acknowledging that they are gay should not be just turned into a sports media spectacle, but instead a welcomed norm within sports.
Sincerely,
Ray Saturn
Reference links & Citations:
Anderson, E., & McCormack, M. (2010). Intersectionality, critical race theory, and American sporting oppression: examining black and gay male athletes. Journal of Homosexuality, 57(8), 949-967. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2010.503502
Dye, N. (2025, April 2). New Orleans Saints' Khalen Saunders hosting LGBTQ-friendly youth football camp: “Football is for all.” People. https://people.com/saints-khalen-saunders-hosting-lgbtq-friendly-youth-football-camp-11707629
King, P. (2014, February 10). Michael Sam’s coming out as gay before draft tests NFL’s mindset. Sports Illustrated (MMQB). https://www.si.com/nfl/2014/02/10/michael-sam-monday-morning-quarterback
https://www.wwe.com/inside/wwe-releases-statement-on-darren-young