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

"I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm Black. And I'm gay," Jason Collins wrote in a 2013 edition of Sports Illustrated, becoming the first athlete in any of the four main professional sports leagues to publicly come out. "I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport," Collins continued. "But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation . . . If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."

Reflecting on his journey in 2018 with People, Collins said he "lived with a lot of stress, uncertainty, and a lot of anger" while growing up. If he could, he'd tell his teenage self, "Everything's going to be OK. Just know that it's going to be OK."