Homosexuality in basketball

Homosexuality in basketball has historically been a sensitive topic, both in professional leagues and at the college level.[1] It has historically been treated as a taboo subject,[2] marked by episodes of discrimination and homophobia, as well as by increasing efforts toward inclusion within the sport at both international and national levels.[3] For decades, the limited visibility of openly gay players reflected broader cultural barriers in the sporting environment, where social stigma and institutional pressures often hindered the public expression of sexual orientation. However, since the early 21st century, various sports organizations, professional leagues, players’ associations, and clubs have implemented diversity policies, anti-discrimination campaigns, and inclusion programs, gradually contributing to a more open and inclusive environment for athletes of different sexual orientations.[4]

Under the International Safeguarding Policy adopted by the FIBA and in force since 2022, any form of discrimination within activities organized by the federation is prohibited, including discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or other personal characteristics. These provisions aim to ensure that players, coaches, officials, and other participants in basketball operate in a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment, and require affiliated federations to adopt preventive measures, reporting mechanisms, and disciplinary procedures to address discriminatory conduct in professional basketball.[5]

Men’s basketball

John Amaechi at an LGBTQ History Month event in the United States (2011).

Historically, men’s basketball has been associated with a strong cultural emphasis on hegemonic masculinity, where players are expected to demonstrate physical strength, aggression, and dominance as defining traits of male athletic identity.[6] Within this context, homosexuality has often been stereotypically and prejudicially linked with femininity and weakness, creating a cultural clash between prevailing norms of masculinity and the acceptance of sexual diversity in the sport.[7] In the early 21st century, some professional basketball players began publicly disclosing their sexual orientation as homosexuals, contributing to greater visibility of diversity within the sport.

In 1986, following the second Gay Games, Tony Jasinski organized the San Francisco Gay Basketball Association.[8]

In 2007, British former Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic player player John Amaechi announced that he was gay, becoming the first former NBA player to do so.[9][10] Amaechi had retired in 2003. His announcement highlighted the social and professional pressures that active players had historically faced when considering whether to disclose their sexual orientation in professional basketball. In relation to this, former player Shavlik Randolph stated in an interview that while Amaechi’s sexual orientation would not affect his ability to play alongside him, it could create “awkwardness in the locker room.”[11]

At the executive level, Rick Welts, president of the Golden State Warriors, publicly came out as gay in 2011, becoming the first high-ranking executive in American professional basketball to do so.[12]

In April 2013, Jason Collins came out as gay in an interview with Sports Illustrated, becoming the first active professional basketball player to do so.[13][14] President Barack Obama contacted him offering his support.[15] In 2014, Jason Collins played for the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA, making him the first openly gay athlete to play in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues.[16][17][18]

In 2014, shortly after the end of the season, sophomore starting guard Derrick Gordon of the University of Massachusetts Amherst came out as gay, making him the first Division I men's basketball player to do so while still playing in college.[19] Later that year, he became the first openly gay player in Division I to play in a men's basketball game.[20] In 2016, as a player for Seton Hall University, he became the first openly gay man to play in the March Madness tournament.[21]

Jesse Taylor, a basketball player at Dakota Wesleyan University, came out as gay in 2015, making him South Dakota's first openly gay college athlete.[22]

In 2015, Bryant University assistant basketball coach Chris Burns came out as gay, making him the first openly gay coach in NCAA Division I men's basketball.[23]

In 2016, Curt Miller, head coach of the Connecticut Sun, became the first openly gay male head coach in the WNBA. He is believed to be the first openly gay male head coach of any professional sports team in the U.S.[24]

In March 2020, Argentine player Sebastián Vega came out as gay through his social media accounts, becoming the first Argentine and South American professional basketball player to do so.[25] He later discussed the difficulties faced by openly gay male players on the court, noting that homophobic slurs are frequently used as insults.[26]

In June 2020, Chilean player Daniel Arcos publicly came out as gay, becoming the first openly gay professional basketball player in Chile.[27]

In January 2021, Swiss player Marco Lehmann came out as gay, while also speaking about the fear and stress experienced by gay players.[28]

In November 2022, Australian player Isaac Humphries became the first Australian professional basketball player to publicly come out as gay.[29]In January 2026, Australian player Andrew Ogilvy came out as gay in an interview, stating that he had often felt compelled to present himself professionally as heterosexual, concealing his sexual orientation.[30]

Women's basketball

In 1999, Carol Blazejowski, general manager of the New York Liberty, came out as a lesbian and became the first general manager in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) to do so.[31]

In 2002, Sue Wicks came out as gay, making her the first openly gay person playing in the WNBA.[32]

The case of Jennifer Harris against Penn State, more specifically their women's basketball coach Rene Portland, was about homosexuality.[33] In 2006, a gay rights advocacy group, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, accused Rene Portland of forcing player Jennifer Harris to transfer because of bias against lesbians. The advocacy group claimed that Portland was biased against lesbians for decades and cited a 1986 interview in which she claimed she talked to recruits and parents of recruits about lesbians stating, "I will not have it in my program."[34] There were also claims of Portland telling key recruits—to discourage them from attending another school—that the other team was "full of lesbians". The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court and Penn State found Portland in violation of policy. She was fined $10,000 by the university in lieu of a one-game suspension and warned that another infraction would result in the termination of her employment.[35] Portland eventually resigned from her coaching position.[36]

Many WNBA players have since come out as gay; for example, Brittney Griner came out in 2013, and Elena Delle Donne came out in 2016.[37] In 2025, openly gay players were estimated to make up 28% of the league.[38]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Norlander, Matt (28 May 2013). "First active, publicly gay college basketball player shares his story". CBS Sports. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  2. ↑ "Homosexuality in sports: a great taboo". Zycle. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  3. ↑ "Discrimination". Out On The Fields. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  4. ↑ Macnaughton, Spencer. "Twelve Years Later, Jason Collins Is Still the Only NBA Player to Come Out. Why?". www.unclosetedmedia.com. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  5. ↑ "FIBA Safeguarding Policy" (PDF). FIBA 3x3. 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  6. ↑ Anderson, Eric (2002). "Openly Gay Athletes: Contesting Hegemonic Masculinity in a Homophobic Environment". Gender and Society. 16 (6): 860–877. ISSN 0891-2432. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  7. ↑ Zhao, Lucy (26 June 2019). "Homosexuality and the NBA". Medium. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  8. ↑ “About.” San Francisco Gay Basketball Association, www.sfgba.com/about.
  9. ↑ Zeigler Jr., Cyd; Buzinski, Jim (7 February 2007). "John Amaechi to come out publicly". Outsports.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2007.
  10. ↑ Whittell, Ian (7 February 2007). "I'm gay, says British basketball star: John Amaechi is first male basketball player to come out in US". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 9 February 2007.
  11. ↑ "Today in Philly Sports History: Shavlik Randolph Would Rather You Keep Your Homosexual Tendencies to Yourself, 2007". NBC Sports Philadelphia. 8 February 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  12. ↑ "Golden State Warriors president Rick Welts marries his longtime partner". NBC News. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  13. ↑ Haughney, Christine (29 April 2013). "How Sports Illustrated Broke the Jason Collins Story". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  14. ↑ Slater, J. (2013-09-17). "Openly Gay Male Athletes Jason Collins, Robbie Rogers, and Orlando Cruz struggling for impact". Huffington Post.
  15. ↑ Bondy, Stefan (2013-05-18). "Landon Donovan says Robbie Rogers' decision to go public with his sexuality 'must have been overwhelmingly good for him". New York Daily.
  16. ↑ Pincus, Eric (February 23, 2014). "Lakers' rally falls short in 108–102 loss to Nets". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 24, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Openly gay basketballer Jason Collins signs landmark NBA deal with Brooklyn Nets". The Sydney Morning Herald. AFP. February 24, 2014. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014.
  18. ↑ Mazzeo, Mike (February 23, 2014). "Rapid Reaction: Nets 108, Lakers 102". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2014.
  19. ↑ Fagan, Kate (April 9, 2014). "UMass' Derrick Gordon says he's gay". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Moment Resonates, Quietly, at UMass". The New York Times. November 15, 2014.
  21. ↑ "WATCH: The First Openly Gay Athlete to Play in March Madness". March 18, 2016.
  22. ↑ Taylor, Jesse. "South Dakota's first out gay college athlete plays basketball for Dakota Wesleyan University". SB Nation Outsports. Vox Media. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  23. ↑ Wire, S. I. (October 8, 2015). "Bryant hoops coach Chris Burns comes out as gay". Sports Illustrated.
  24. ↑ Altavilla, John (2018-08-22). "Sun Coach Curt Miller Aims for Honesty With Team and Family". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
  25. ↑ Robson, Graham (23 July 2025). "Argentina's first openly gay basketball player, Sebastián Vega, celebrates team victory by unfurling LGBTQ+ Pride Flag". Scene Magazine. Scenemag. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  26. ↑ Cormick, Pablo (29 September 2021). "'Seba, you look so happy': Argentine basketballer Sebastian Vega tells his coming out story". ESPN.com. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  27. ↑ Damshenas, Sam (19 June 2020). "Basketball player Daniel Arcos comes out as gay to mark Pride Month". Gay Times. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  28. ↑ Zeigler, Cyd. "Gay pro basketball player Marco Lehmann comes out". OutSports. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  29. ↑ "Isaac Humphries' life-changing mission to help others | Basketball.com.au". www.basketball.com.au. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  30. ↑ "Former NBL player AJ Ogilvy comes out as gay ahead of league's Pride Round". ABC News. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  31. ↑ Factora, James (2025-07-23). "Lesbians for Liberty: Looking Back at the WNBA Kiss-In Protest of 2002". Them. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
  32. ↑ II, Howard Nixon (July 24, 2015). Sport in a Changing World. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-38378-9 – via Google Books.
  33. ↑ "Group says Penn State coach biased - Women's College Basketball - ESPN". ESPN. 2005-10-11. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  34. ↑ "Group accuses Penn State coach with anti-lesbian bias". ESPN.com. 2005-10-11. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
  35. ↑ "PSU finds Portland in violation of policy". www.collegian.psu.edu. Archived from the original on September 3, 2006.
  36. ↑ "Penn State coach Portland resigns". ESPN.com. 22 March 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  37. ↑ Hine, Chris; Thompson, Phil (August 3, 2016). "Elena Delle Donne engaged, comes out: 'I'm not at all going to hide anything'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  38. ↑ Riese (2025-09-09). "Meet All 44 Gay WNBA Players of the 2025 Season". Autostraddle. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
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