Every year, as a look back at the year, we count down Outsports’ most-read stories of the year.
This year we saw some general themes stand out. For sure there were some amazing coming-out stories that we got to share. There were also the Olympics, which launched some new stars and gave us some great moments. Of course we had a number of people saying or doing things that seemed to us to be anti-LGBTQ or homophobic. And no one should be surprised that football accounts for over a third of the stories in our top-30. Yes, football is still king in America.
We’ll be counting down the list on Twitter and Facebook over the course of the final few weeks of 2018. And we’ll keep track of that list here.
1) Gay former Dallas Cowboy Jeff Rohrer is marrying his boyfriend this Sunday
Jeff Rohrer played for the legendary Tom Landry. As he marries his boyfriend, his Cowboys teammates have his back.
2) Trans athlete leaves Tucker Carlson speechless, sets Fox News record
Joanna Harper expounded on Fox News about trans participation in sports.
3) Gay high school football player and swimmer boyfriend dance night away at prom
Jake Bain and Hunter Sigmund celebrate their relationship with classmates.
4) This gay college athlete was disowned by her parents and left with nothing
The NCAA has determined Emily Scheck can keep outside donations made to her, as well as keep her eligibility.
5) Gus Kenworthy kisses his boyfriend Matt Wilkas at the Olympics live on TV
And they showed a rainbow Pride flag being waved.
6) 11 Major League Baseball teams have rainbow hats for LGBT Pride games
Hats are the most popular giveaways for the teams.
7) 2018 Olympics will have a record 15 out LGBTQ athletes
List includes the first out male Winter Olympians.
8) 32% of WNBA All-Stars are publicly out. 86% of them are on Team Delle Donne.
Lots of out LGBTQ players in this year’s WNBA All-Star Game.
9) This former Kentucky football player is coming out publicly to inspire others
Landon Foster has committed himself to a life promoting diversity in sports and business.
10) Gay former Husker football player talks about Nebraska hiring Ron Brown
Eric Lueshen played and prayed with Brown. Now he has questions for his former coach.
11) 25 Major League Baseball teams to host LGBT Pride nights in 2018
Teams continue to court their LGBT fan base.
12) Air Force football player Bradley Kim came out and found total acceptance
“It doesn’t affect my ability to play football. It doesn’t affect my ability to serve my country.”
13) Gay swim captain came out with help of football captain and they became boyfriends
Feeling isolated and scared, high school swimmer Hunter Sigmund confided he was gay to Jake Bain, the out captain of the football team. They are now boyfriends and Sigmund is thriving.
14) Daniel Murphy makes things worse with his new message to gay Cubs fans
The Chicago Cubs will parade Murphy, an avowed Christian homophobe, in front of gay fans this Sunday.
15) Eric Radford and Luis Fenero are figure skating’s hot gay power couple
Radford will skate for an Olympic pairs medal with his fiancé Fenero in the stands.
16) CrossFit gym cancels Pride event saying it detracts from God’s plan for health
A CrossFit spokesperson says celebrating LGBTQ Pride is a ‘sin.’
17) Record 7 openly gay, bi college football players in 2018
College football has seven openly gay or bi players in 2018, a record, and a sign of a changing sport.
18) Philadelphia fans flocked to a gay bar in Minneapolis because it has ‘Eagle’ in its name
It’s not that kind of Eagle.
19) Openly gay college football player Jake Bain happy being just one of the guys
Gay college football player Jake Bain is fitting right in as a freshman at Indiana State and is an LGBT activist by example.
20) School kicks trans athlete off boys basketball team for using the bathroom
Principal tries to force star boys football and basketball player to compete against girls.
21) For pro wrestler Mike Parrow, coming out as gay was ‘best decision of my life’
Nine months after coming out publicly as gay, pro wrestler Mike Parrow has never been happier and his career is taking off.
22) Gay college football player found a team after nearly quitting sports
Donovan Hillary felt he had to quit football at Queen’s Univ. Now he’s on a team where he feels he can come out.
23) NBC straight-washed the Olympics Opening Ceremony. Here we go again.
NBC Sports still has a gay problem.
24) Homophobia swirls around the latest Aaron Hernandez story
Oxygen’s documentary about the former Patriot makes almost everybody look like a jerk.
25) Gay couple brutally attacked at World Cup in Russia
FIFA is largely to blame.
26) This gay couple is featured in ESPN’s new series about Dallas Cowboy fans
Justin and Tim are about to become husbands.
27) NBC and MSNBC political guru Steve Kornacki is openly gay and a huge sports fan
NBC and MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki is openly gay and Election Day is like the Super Bowl for the big sports fan.
28) Adam Rippon absolutely nailed his Olympic debut
Rippon fulfilled a lifelong dream.
29) Lacrosse coach comes out by introducing his boyfriend on Facebook
Aron Lipkin decided to come out as gay in honor of his late friend and assistant coach on National Coming Out Day.
30) Pro snowboarder trolls LeBron James with ‘gay’ Instagram crack
Eric Willett thinks gays flap their arms like a falling NBA player.
