Anna Maria RichardsSince the beginning of the modern LGBT rights movement, a key goal has been increasing the visibility of LGBT people in mainstream society. The thinking behind this is that the more people see LGBT people living their everyday lives, the more accepting they will be of LGBT people.
This goal has been largely successful, and we have seen a dramatic increase in the visibility of LGBT people in recent years. This is thanks in part to the growing acceptance of LGBT people in society, but also to the hard work of activists and allies who have worked to make their voices heard.
One area where we have seen a significant increase in visibility is in media representation. This includes both positive and negative portrayals of LGBT characters on television, in movies, and other forms of popular culture, like sports for example.
Today, we are going to discuss some of the best LGBT athletes who represent their community.
Carl Nassib
Carl Nassib is an American football defensive end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State, and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Nassib was born on April 12, 1993, in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He attended Malvern Preparatory School, where he played football and lacrosse. In football, he was a three-time All-Inter-Academic League selection and helped lead his team to a conference championship as a senior. In lacrosse, he was a two-time All-Main Line selection.
He is one of the rare NFL players who came out as gay. Also, he is the first ever NFL player who came out as gay while he was still an active player. That simply shows how committed he is to the cause and how wonderfully he represents his community. He is one of the best players in the NFL with good Super Bowl odds this season.
Megan Rapinoe
Megan Rapinoe is an American professional soccer player who captains Reign FC in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States women’s national soccer team. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, World Cup champion, two-time NWSL Shield winner, and Ballon d’Or nominee.
Rapinoe began her college career with the University of Portland Pilots in 2005. In her junior year, she helped lead the Pilots to the 2006 NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship. After a successful collegiate career, Rapinoe was selected as the second overall pick in the 2009 WPS Draft by the Chicago Red Stars.
In 2013, Rapinoe was traded to Seattle Reign FC, where she helped lead the team to consecutive NWSL Shield wins in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, she helped the United States win its record-setting third FIFA Women’s World Cup championship. Following her performance at the World Cup, she was named co-captain of the U.S. national team alongside Carli Lloyd.
In 2019, Rapinoe became one of only nine women to have won both an Olympic gold medal and a World Cup championship. She is also one of only three players (along with Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach) to have scored 100 goals for both club and country. She is a wonderful example of an LGBT person in the world of sports.
Robbie Rogers
Robbie Rogers is a former American professional soccer player who played for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He also has played for the United States men’s national soccer team. Prior to his career in professional soccer, Rogers played college soccer for the University of Maryland, where he was a two-time All-American.
Rogers began his professional career with the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer in 2007. He made his debut with the Crew in a game against D.C. United on April 7, 2007. He scored his first professional goal in a game against the New York Red Bulls on May 27, 2007. He helped the Crew win the MLS Cup in 2008, their first championship in club history.
In December 2011, Rogers announced that he was retiring from professional soccer due to personal reasons. In February 2013, he came out as gay in a post on his website, becoming the first openly gay male athlete in any of North America’s major professional sports leagues. In May 2013, he signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy, and became the first openly gay man to compete in Major League Soccer.
It is safe to say that representing the LGBT community in a positive way is one of the most important tasks we have as a society. The wonderful athletes we discussed today are doing beautiful things for LGBT people.
