Are you ready for some... Winners and losers in LGBT sports?

A weekly list of stories from the past seven days with the theme of Courage Is Contagious.

By Dawn Ennis@lifeafterdawn Sep 12, 2020, 6:00am PDT

In honor of the return of pro football this week, my list of winners and losers is divided into touchdowns and fumbles:

Fumble! In 101 NFL seasons there has never been an openly gay player

13 NFL players have come out after retiring but none while active and the streak continues in 2020.

Touchdown! Hockey player Zach Sullivan says Pride games helped give him courage to come out

Portrait of Team GB Men’s National Ice Hockey Team — Great Britain Ice Hockey Team Defenseman, Zach Sullivan. IIHF World Championship Division 1A

The Elite Ice Hockey League defenseman sees Pride games creating material changes within hockey culture.

Score a touchdown! Join our conversation about the current state of LGBTQ acceptance and homophobia in men’s hockey

Join us and four players and referees in men’s hockey to hear their experiences being out in the sport.

Fumble by Universities! Gay former college gymnast says his sport is an ‘endangered species’

Evan Heiter (2nd from left) posing with some of his Michigan Wolverines teammates.

Evan Heiter, who was a gymnast for the University of Michigan, says his sport was fighting for survival long before Covid.

Touchdown! 84 scholars sign letter telling World Rugby: Let trans women play

A diverse, global group of leading academics and researchers agreed to sign their names to a letter opposing World Rugby’s proposed trans ban, and almost all agreed to let Outsports publish their names.

Fumble! Kevin Pillar’s comments on protests call into question his progress after an anti-gay slur

San Francisco Giants v Colorado Rockies — Kevin Pillar #11 of the Colorado Rockies bats during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on September 1, 2020 in Denver, Colo.

Following an on-field anti-gay slur in 2017, Kevin Pillar appeared to be committed to self-improvement. His recent comments on civil rights protests shows he still has a long way to go.

Touchdown! Texas swim coach has championed inclusion at USA Swimming and across the sport

Mitch Dalton has found it hard to date and make gay friends traveling so much. He hopes to change that in Austin.

Fumble: Caster Semenya lost what may be her final appeal to compete in the 800m

The Swiss Supreme Court ruled South Africa’s two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya must take testosterone-lowering drugs to compete in her signature event.

Touchdown! Oakland A’s say they support celebration of Glenn Burke

A Bay Area resident has started a Change.org petition asking the A’s to honor Glenn Burke as part of their annual Pride Month celebrations.

Fumble, then Touchdown! This LAFC fan used a gay slur. Now he’s building bridges while paying a price

MLS Soccer - Los Angeles FC v Sporting Kansas City — Josue “Chiquilin” Villanueva has become a staple of the 3252. He and the entire LAFC fanbase are educating themselves about the use of gay slurs.

LAFC’s Pride Republic and The 3252 are helping ‘Chiquilin’ and others understand the power of homophobic slurs.

Touchdown: Gay college swimmer forged his path in rural South Dakota

Josh Sorbe, Mr. Dakota, with Ms. Dakota Macy Halverson — Josh Sorbe, Mr. Dakota, with Ms. Dakota, Macy Halverson

Josh Sorbe was the homecoming king and student body president at the University of South Dakota where he was able to reach his potential as an openly gay student-athlete.

Fumble! Department of Education advances anti-trans student athlete agenda

Betsy DeVos’s Office of Civil Rights threatened to withhold federal funds from Connecticut schools for being inclusive, while launching an investigation of homophobia in Tennessee. All on the same day.

Touchdown! Watch Asian and Asian-American LGBTQ athletes discuss struggles and triumphs

Joining the Sept. 9 conversation were golfer Tadd Fujikawa, athlete and activist Amazin LeThi, swimmer Schuyler Bailar and diver Lisa Coe.

In what may be a first, four Asian and Asian-American LGBTQ athletes talk about their unique sports experiences.

Touchdown! Jacqueline Harper-Grubb found her truth and her niche on the pitch

Transgender referee Jacqueline Harper-Grubb forges her path in America’s heartland.

Touchdown, and RIP: Mark Bingham remembered

Mark Bingham was a friend to many in the gay sports world, particularly rugby and football, before he was a hero to the nation on Sept. 11, 2001.

Touchdown! Gay WNBA coach Curt Miller opens up about bubble life: ‘It feels like Groundhog Day’

The Connecticut Sun head coach is back in the playoffs, and attempting to lead his team through the most challenging season in memory, all while trying to maintain sanity.

Touchdowns! U.S. Sailing hosts panel on LGBTQ diversity, equity and inclusion, featuring gay college sailor who strives for inclusion in sport

Stephanie Helms and other sailors compete on the Atlantic Ocean.

Four LGBT sailing enthusiasts share their personal and professional perspectives and provide recommendations to sailing organizations on being more inclusive. One panelist, John DeRuff came out as gay a year ago.

John DeRuff, right, with Michael Houllahan and Sarah Noyes, both of the class of 2020 and fellow sailing captains from last year at George Washington University.

Touchdown! World Cup soccer player Quinn announces they are transgender

Holland v Canada -World Cup Women — Quinn of Canada Women during the World Cup Women match between Holland v Canada at the Stade Auguste-Delaune II on June 20, 2019 in Reims France.

A member of the Canadian WNT and OL Reign, Quinn came out on Instagram with advice on how to be a better ally to the transgender community.

That’s all for this week! I’ll bring you a fresh list of winners and losers next Saturday. Got a name I missed, or want to challenge my choices? Comment here or on Facebook or Instagram, tweet at us, message me via any social media, or just plain email me at outsports@gmail.com Thanks!