year in queerview

10 LGBTQ+ sports stars who slayed both on & off the field in 2023

They’ve won championships, captured gold medals and spoken out for human rights. Each day, they present their true selves to the world, and make sports more inclusive for LGBTQ+ people everywhere.

As we look back on 2023, it’s difficult to narrow the list of LGBTQ+ athletes who excelled and made a big difference. That’s a testament to the sheer number of stellar out queer competitors. We are enjoying an unprecedented era of gay athletic excellence, and the good times only promise to get better.

For years, we’ve dreamed of the day when LGBTQ+ athletes wouldn’t have to formally come out, and we’re finally arriving at that point. Gay athletes dominate women sports, from the WNBA to the highest levels of international soccer.

While the men lag behind, there is a new generation of young male athletes who are unapologetically queer. One of the coolest stories this year was Colorado State defensive lineman Kennedy McDowell, who was an out gay Division 1 football player without anybody noticing.

Visibility matters, and every out athlete is playing their part. But after careful consideration, we’ve identified 10 who stood above the rest this year.

Here are 10 LGBTQ+ sports stars who slayed both on and off the field in 2023…

Sha’Carri Richardson

The outspoken sprinter is gunning for gold in next year’s Summer Olympics. This year, Richardson cleaned up at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, winning gold in the 100-meter, bronze in the 200-meter and gold again in the 4×100 meter relay.

The reigning Athlete of the Year for Women at USA Track and Field was dominant in 2023, and poised for an even better 2024.

Daria Kasatkina

Kasatkina is one of the bravest people in sports. Pictured above with her girlfriend, the native Russian is exiled from her home country, due to her status as a publicly out sports star and vocal critic of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

All the while, she’s managed to maintain a top-20 ranking on the WTA Tour, and competed in this year’s U.S. Open. Not too shabby…

Anderson Comas

The Chicago White Sox minor leaguer publicly came out in February, and wound up enjoying his best year as a pro. Comas appeared in 17 games across three minor league levels, posting a spectacular 1.38 ERA.

That’s how you slay on the diamond, baby!

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3 Comments*

  • banditboy

    Athletes, yes. Sports stars? Most of them, NO. And when it comes to real sports stars, let me know when it’s an athlete in one of the 4 major men’s leagues in the U.S. or a major soccer team in Europe.

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