Best gay sports stories of 2010

Johnny Weir at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver

I begin this year’s best of roundups with an unlikely choice: sports. I’m not sure if I’m bucking the stereotype or playing along with it but qPDX has never been particularly strong in our sports coverage (that’s an understatement girl…) but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some really important stories that emerged in the world of gay sports. And even I was pretty glued to the screen for the Winter Olympics, being virtually blinded by Johnny Weir’s sequined outfits.

So begins the countdowns, mostly the top 5 news and arts stories, although I could only narrow the top 10 when it came to music. And you get 2 each day all week long!

5 – World Cup news

Soccer may not be as popular here as it is in the rest of the world but we’re finally starting to get the picture. This year’s matches in South Africa had its share of stories and seemed a fairly gay-friendly event to attend. The Advocate posited 15 reasons gays should be excited about the World Cup. But gays were upset at the huge step backward when it was announced later this year that the 2022 World Cup would be held in Qatar, a country that punishes gay sex acts with imprisonment or worse.

4 – Kaia Wilson and the gay games

The quadriennel Gay Games, sort of an LGBT Olympics, were held in Cologne, Germany this year. And aside from the sheer awesomeness of having such a huge event that shows the world that sissies can also be jocks, Portland sent one of it’s own. Better known for her music, Kaia Wilson earned a couple medals this year in the sport of table tennis. If you want to check out any recaps or pictures OutSports.com has a whole Gay Games section.

3 – Openly transgendered players come out in college and professional sports

Kye Allums

This year saw a transwoman accepted in the LPGA and a transman playing college basketball.

A lawsuit filed by MTF golfer Lana Lawless, who had been barred from women’s golf events including the Long Drivers of America championship, which she had previously won, prompted the LPGA to rescind its “female at birth” requirement. FTM basketball player Kye Allums, became the NCAA’s first Div. 1 basketball player when he announced his transition.

Both of these stories bring forth debate about what is fair in women’s sports but it’s huge to have even started this conversation.

2 – Lesbian coaches face discrimination

It hasn’t been an easy year for lesbian coaches, even if we’re used to the trope. Lisa Howe, Belmont University’s women’s soccer coach resigned, although insiders claim she was pretty much fired, when it was discovered that her female partner was pregnant. Very soon after University of Minnesota golf coach Katie Brenny claimed she was demoted because she is a lesbian.

1 Johnny Weir and the Winter Olympics

While there were actually less out athletes at these winter games than there were two years ago during the summer games, Vancouver was a pretty gay-friendly place for Olympic athletes. These games even featured Pride House, a place for the LGBT Oly community to hang out. There were the lesbian hotties in skating, hockey and skiiing, and of course there was Johnny Weir, the ultra-glamorous and uber gay figure skater we all gushed over. His outfits shown brightly and he was an American with a real shot at a medal. I certainly sat transfixed during his performances.