These athletes came out as LGBTQ+ in 2024 (so far)

Even more LGBTQ+ rep in sports!

Even in 2024, the decision for a professional athlete to come out can be a tough one. There are still many sports leagues, teams, and fandoms that aren't very accepting of queer and/or trans athletes — prompting them to hide in the closet for as long as possible in fear of hurting their careers, losing sponsors, or having to retire earlier than they would've liked.

We've fortunately been getting more and more examples of queer athletes coming out in recent years. As a result, their courageous stories incentivize other up-and-upcoming athletes to follow suit whenever they feel ready and willing to share their own experiences. And when they do, we are always ready to embrace them as part of our community!

In a year that included the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, this feels like an even more special period of time to celebrate queer athletes who have come out and are living as their most authentic selves.

Scroll through to learn more about the athletes who have come out as LGBTQ+ in 2024 (so far)!

Colin Grafton

Colin Grafton, who used to compete as a professional figure skater and went to join the cast of Dancing on Ice, came out to the public in February of 2024. Though he had already come out to his close friends a few years earlier, the athlete was only able to take this step at 32 years of age.

"It's been a long journey but now I am proud of myself," he told PinkNews. "I'm proud of my sexual orientation and I want to let other people know that they should be proud of every part of themselves, too."

Sean Gunn

A professional athlete who swam for Zimbabwe at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Sean Gunn came out as gay in March of 2024.

"I honestly don't think anything really changed at all," Gunn told Outsports in an interview. "If anything, friendships just became better. I think, in my head, I built it up for so long… and I was terrified that the way they acted or treated me would be different. But I was really lucky that everyone was so amazing and wanted me to be the happiest version of myself."

Tim Brewster & Kyle Friend

Talk about a two-for-one! In March 2024, Tim Brewster and Kyle Friend shared how their partnership as a pro beach volleyball duo evolved into a romantic relationship between them. While it was understood that their immediate family, friends, and peers already knew about the couple, it was only this year that they revealed this information to fans.

"Seeing an example of someone who is out and confident and able to do volleyball, I'd never been around that," Brewster told Volleyball Magazine. "To see somebody like that helped me through a lot of these internal struggles I was having."

Bulk Bronson

Pro wrestler "Dirty Bulk" Bronson came out as bisexual in June of 2024 to kick off Pride Month on the right foot. The All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star wrote in a series of X posts:

"The last 24 hours have just been so overwhelming ever since openly admitting that I am bisexual. I've been left speechless by the endless phone calls, texts, DMs, replies from faithful fans, my close friends, our scumbag, and so many others I've had new interactions with."

Trey Cunningham

In a July interview with The New York Times, track-and-field athlete (and model) Trey Cunningham publicly opened up about his sexuality after coming out as gay in private to his close loved ones five years prior.

He also opened up to Us Weekly, saying, "I've grown up in a time where people just don't care anymore. I feel like I was on the cusp of that change, just a little bit."

He continued: "I'm just Trey and apparently it's a special thing that I like to kiss guys."

Ralf Schumacher

In an Instagram post shared in July, retired German Formula One race car driver Ralf Schumacher came out as queer after revealing he has a male partner.

"The best thing in life is when you have the right partner by your side with whom you can share everything," he wrote in the caption of the post where the two can be seen embracing each other while watching a sunset on the ocean.

"Thank you very much for the numerous congratulations and comments," he wrote in a follow-up Instagram post, tagging his partner, whose name is Etienne. "We are very happy and thank you all."

João Lucas Reis da Silva

Brazilian tennis player João Lucas Reis da Silva publicly came out on December 7 when he posted Instagram photos of himself alongside his partner, Gui Sampaio Ricardo. The caption read, "Happy birthday, happy life, I love you a lot."

The photos show the two men going to the beach, sitting together, and showing affection. Ricardo commented on the post saying "Te amo" with a heart emoji.

Maven Maurer

Maven Maurer is likely the first former professional football player to come out as transgender.

Maurer was a fullback and special teams player for 13 years in the Canadian Football League, playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, B.C. Lions, Ottawa Renegades, and Edmonton Elks. She won two CFL championships, one with the Lions in 2000, and another with the Elks in 2005, when she was honored with the Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian award in the championship game.

She realized she was trans shortly after the COVID pandemic. According to 3 Down Nation, a CFL news website, she had a near-death experience, and started to journal, meditate, and go to therapy. It was there that she realized she was trans.

She first came out publicly in June 2023 on a social media post.

"A new chapter: I just want to be visible. I can't wait to share this journey with you," she said.