22 LGBTQ+ Athletes Who Are Speaking Out and Leading the Way — in Sports and Beyond

At 77, Billie Jean King is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time but is equally well-known for her work as an activist for gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights.

In 1981, King was publicly outed as a lesbian. The experience was "horrible," King told NBC News in 2017, adding that her team urged her to deny her sexuality. King refused, saying, "I'm going to do it. I don't care. This is important to me to tell the truth." She said she didn't fully feel comfortable with her sexuality until age 51 but added that if she could change anything about her experiences, it would only be this: "I'd come out earlier."