(Photo Credits: Kathy Hutchins from Shutterstock)
The LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame will welcome a new class of honorees in 2026, celebrating athletes, coaches, executives, and advocates whose achievements have broken barriers and helped advance inclusion in sports worldwide. Founded in 2013 as the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame, the institution was created to recognize individuals who have made “significant and lasting contributions to athletics and LGBTQ+ visibility.” The Hall was revitalized and renamed under the stewardship of the Sports Equality Foundation, which has pledged to bring renewed attention to queer sporting history and legacy. For more information, read here.
“These individuals embody the very spirit of our mission of the Hall of Fame,” said Scott Bova, Chair of the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame, in a statement. “Their contributions to sports and advocacy have paved the way for greater inclusion and have inspired countless athletes and fans worldwide. We are honored to recognize their legacy.”
The 2026 induction ceremony is scheduled for June 25 in New York City, aligning with NYC Pride festivities and highlighting the intersection of sports pride and LGBTQ+ cultural celebration.
The 2026 Honorees
This year’s class includes a remarkable group of individuals whose careers span multiple sports, roles, and eras:
- Maybelle Blair – A pioneer in women’s baseball who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during World War II and came out publicly later in life, becoming an important symbol of queer history in sport.
- Nikki Hiltz – U.S. champion and Olympian middle-distance runner who became the first trans, nonbinary athlete to reach an individual final at the Paris Olympics and an outspoken advocate for gender diversity in athletics.
- Bill Kennedy – Veteran NBA referee and one of the league’s most visible LGBTQ+ officials, whose career helped normalize gay presence in professional basketball officiating.
- Phaidra Knight – Rugby legend with decades of international play for the U.S. women’s team and a respected figure in global women’s sport.
- Anthony Nicodemo – Renowned high school basketball coach and athletic director noted for his advocacy and for helping foster inclusive athletic environments.
- Ryan O’Callaghan – A former NFL offensive lineman who played for the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs, O’Callaghan has become a powerful advocate for mental health and LGBTQ+ visibility in professional sports. After coming out publicly following his playing career, he has spoken openly about depression, suicidal ideation, and the life-saving impact of authenticity, helping shift conversations around masculinity, sexuality, and mental health in elite athletics.
- Robin Roberts – Recognized for her influential broadcast career and her role in boosting visibility for women’s sports and LGBTQ+ athletes through major media platforms.
- Rick Welts – Trailblazing NBA executive, former Golden State Warriors president, and current CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, known for his leadership and long career in professional basketball.
- Sue Wicks – One of the first WNBA players to come out publicly, celebrated for her strong professional career and continued advocacy.
- Dan Woog – High school soccer coach and author whose work documented the experiences of gay male athletes, advancing understanding of LGBTQ+ participation in sport.
In addition to the core class, the Hall will bestow the Glenn Burke Award on Billie Jean King and Jason Collins, honoring individuals whose “courage and authenticity have transformed the sports landscape.” King, a tennis icon and longtime advocate for gender equity and LGBTQ+ rights, and Collins, the first openly gay active NBA player, have both become symbols of progress in athletics.
Totally unnecessary!! What’s next?? A hall of fame for retired athletes who are left handed? All we need is what we already have. A hall of fame for retired athletes that excelled in a certain sport.
yo, Matt (100% Black) just the white bread spreadin’ it ’round gives da’ majority sumthin’ to do
Yo Yo Yo…you’re a Yo-Yo….everything is black and white to you (LOL)…how about the greys and other colors?
White Supremacy = (50% White) – Black Power = (50% Black) = 100% yo, it all adds up. why messin’ with the formula? kan do withou’ da’ variables
yo, need I remind ya’ that God worked out the formular He wanted equality 50 + 50 so he created Zebra a prim’ example of equality ya’ can always take it up with da’ Lord!
Not to mention mint oreos, the best.
yes, why discriminate against the little green men.
LOL! LOL! LOL!
A Gay Nobel Prize. Gay Academy Awards. Gay Gay Golden Globes. Gay Grammys. Gay Tony Awards. Gay Country Music Awards. Gay Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.
A US Gay Political Party.
Exactly it’ll be way too much!!
And signs at borders saying, “Welcome to The Great Gay State of California!”
media determined what catches the eyes, empties the pockets
The media right now is in a crisis. They are being controlled by a force, that I would never dreamed would happen in our country. Amazing how one man can control such a huge operation. The hidden Epstein files should be the top story on every new media outlet every single day. Criminal activity went on and young minor girls were the victims and nobody seems to care. Yes I went off track on here and frankly don’t give a darn. I have 3 minor granddaughters that I love with all my heart.
speak freely! the media was controlled under Obama, Biden and Harris so why worry about Trump? Media manipulation is nothing new! FDR did it beautifully as did Kennedy different hands same manipulation!
The media has always been controlled by Washington, DC, and the two political parties to a great extent. It was heavily controlled under the last President and his party. There’s more freedom now to discuss a broad range of social issues than there was 2020-2024.
I’m curious. Are you also opposed to other specific halls of fame, such as the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame? Many of these particular organizations were created to acknowledge significant contributions to their communities. Of course, many would argue that this kind of specificity only keeps all of us divided.
I agree!! We don’t need any more division. Have you guys noticed that things are getting worse?
Yep, those in denial, are being “woke” from their ‘comatose bubble’. As a INFJ type personality, ‘cultural’ narcissism, is reaching a fever-pitch, people are realizing, finally, gonna have to make a moral choice. Get it right, is all I have to say.
Hopefully we as a country will get it right after the midterm elections.
like the mayor of NYC?
One thing is for sure; we’ve turned a corner, never to ever be where we once were as a country in the world abroad and domestically; absolutely fucking dismal. Putin and the oligarchs/ultra wealthy are the one’s whom have won, at this point.
We have become less divided in the past year. The four years before that were far Left. Individuals and their businesses were banned and boycotted for speaking to the Right. Students on many college campuses reported being put down and having their grades lowered for non-Left views.
You can now speak more freely. Hardcore Left and Right individuals will still challenge you, but no one has to stifle themselves as they did prior to late 2024.
As athletes started revealing that they were Gay a couple decades ago, it become fashionable for “The Community” to embrace sports. Prior to that, there was the general feeling that “Sports hates Gays so you’re not a ‘Ture Gay’ if you’re into sports.” As “Heated Rivalry” has stormed onto bookshelves and TV screens, suddenly sports are a hot commodity, a “must have!”, the latest “hot trend!”.
I think behind closed doors, gay in general is becoming more fashionable. More straight people are intrigued and asking questions out loud about the lifestyle of gay people. Example, the segment about “do gay men swallow more” asked by a straight dude.
The extremism so prevalent in the public eye is actually turning too many people against the gay community.
I think gay people, period, have always loved sports, those of whom do, I just thing many chose not to participate out of fear of being found out; or felt like we would be bullied discriminated against; so, self-imposed segregation is what ensued, I think.
All it takes is one, brave enough to kick the door door/s down, any ostracized group; all it takes is one, there are many examples of this.
So isn’t it weird that gay men have turned into such gym bunnies? It used to be about just being your natural self, now it’s all about being unnatural, whether overly muscular, starved, or in “drag.”
The Gay Junior Varsity Sportball Hall of Fame. Participation trophies included
Has Tiger Woods been honored yet?
I seem to recall a famous hockey player coming out in the 1980s, that has been long forgotten. Dwayne The Rock could certainly be considered a professional athlete, and he came out as bisexual in the 90s, and that has been erased from view. And if there are as many as 12 to honor in one year, the honor seems quite superfluous.