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Source: https://www.outsports.com/feed/

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11. <title>Outsports</title>
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13. <link>https://www.outsports.com/</link>
14. <description>Courage is contagious</description>
15. <lastBuildDate>Mon, 06 May 2024 10:03:53 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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23. <title>Fran Kirby joins Emma Hayes, Maren Mjelde in Chelsea departure &#8211; the end of an era</title>
24. <link>https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/6/24093200/fran-kirby-chelsea-emma-hayes-maren-mjelde-departures/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=fran-kirby-chelsea-emma-hayes-maren-mjelde-departures</link>
26. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Shelby Weldon]]></dc:creator>
27. <pubDate>Mon, 06 May 2024 10:01:38 +0000</pubDate>
28. <category><![CDATA[Soccer]]></category>
29. <category><![CDATA[Women's Sports]]></category>
30. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.outsports.com/?p=24093200</guid>
31.  
32. <description><![CDATA[<p>Fran Kirby is a legend for Chelsea, having played football for the club for a decade. She's also competed for England and Great Britain.</p>
33. <p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/6/24093200/fran-kirby-chelsea-emma-hayes-maren-mjelde-departures/" data-wpel-link="internal">Fran Kirby joins Emma Hayes, Maren Mjelde in Chelsea departure &#8211; the end of an era</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
34. ]]></description>
35. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
36. <p>After spending almost a decade with one club, <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2021/7/12/22565574/tokyo-summer-olympics-lgbtq-gay-athletes-list/" data-wpel-link="internal">Fran Kirby</a> is ready for a change.</p>
37.  
38.  
39.  
40. <p>In an emotional video posted to social media on Saturday, the club&#8217;s leading goalscorer addressed fans directly in announcing her departure from Chelsea FC Women.</p>
41.  
42.  
43.  
44. <p>“Thank you for embracing me from day one. And helping me, as I said, overcome some really difficult times and sharing some amazing times with me.</p>
45.  
46.  
47.  
48. <p>“I hope that I have left the club and the shirt in a place where you all can be proud of me.”</p>
49.  
50.  
51.  
52.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
53.      </div>
54.  
55.  
56.  
57.  
58.  
59.  
60.  
61. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
62. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Fran has something to say&#8230; <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f972.png" alt="🥲" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><br><br>After so many incredible memories, this season will be <a href="https://twitter.com/frankirby?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">@FranKirby</a>&#39;s last at Chelsea. <a href="https://t.co/9D9sweEyIG" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">pic.twitter.com/9D9sweEyIG</a></p>&mdash; Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChelseaFCW/status/1786682249758302295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">May 4, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
63. </div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kirby also released a statement on her social media accounts, thanking the club&#8217;s supporters and reflecting on her career with Chelsea.</figcaption></figure>
64.  
65.  
66.  
67. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
68. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A few words from me, to you. Thank you for everything <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f499.png" alt="💙" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <a href="https://t.co/LoBjTNHz9N" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">pic.twitter.com/LoBjTNHz9N</a></p>&mdash; Fran Kirby (@frankirby) <a href="https://twitter.com/frankirby/status/1786717053602189322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">May 4, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
69. </div></figure>
70.  
71.  
72.  
73.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
74.      </div>
75.  
76.  
77.  
78.  
79.  
80. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
81. <p>&#8220;Every amazing story must one day come to an end.</p>
82.  
83.  
84.  
85. <p>This is the end of mine in Blue.</p>
86.  
87.  
88.  
89. <p>What an incredible journey: from Staines to Stamford Bridge.</p>
90.  
91.  
92.  
93. <p>Firstly, I&#8217;d like to show love to all of my teammates who I have played alongside, both current Blues and former.</p>
94.  
95.  
96.  
97. <p>The memories you have helped me create are ones I will hold with me forever and I can never thank you enough. The friendships I have made are ones I will cherish for the rest of my life.</p>
98.  
99.  
100.  
101. <p>To the fans, you embraced me from day one. You supported me through some of the highest and lowest moments of not just my career, but also my life.</p>
102.  
103.  
104.  
105. <p>&#8220;Super Fran&#8221; &#8211; I heard you every game and will always be grateful for the support and love. I will remember that for the rest of my life.</p>
106.  
107.  
108.  
109. <p>I will always cherish the memories we made and the trophies we won. What a ride it&#8217;s been!</p>
110.  
111.  
112.  
113. <p>There were some incredible moments: becoming your all-time top goalscorer, your first Champions League goalscorer and reaching a Champions League final are all things I am so proud of.</p>
114.  
115.  
116.  
117. <p>But, I think we all know it&#8217;s the right time for something new.</p>
118.  
119.  
120.  
121. <p>The #14 shirt has been so special to me, and I hope I made you proud wearing it.</p>
122.  
123.  
124.  
125. <p>I know my Mum would be so honoured to have had the number 14 with me for the last 9 years. It&#8217;s meant everything to me.</p>
126.  
127.  
128.  
129. <p>Thank you for everything, Blues.</p>
130.  
131.  
132.  
133. <p>Super Fran #14&#8243;</p>
134. </blockquote>
135.  
136.  
137.  
138. <p>One of the most renowned footballers in the women&#8217;s game, Fran Kirby will be sorely missed by the Blues. With her 115 goals in 205 appearances for Chelsea, she helped drive the team to 6 WSL titles, 5 FA Cups, 2 League Cups, and a Community Shield.</p>
139.  
140.  
141.  
142. <p>Kirby isn&#8217;t alone in leaving this year, and reflects a sea change in the makeup of Chelsea, posing questions for what the team will look like going into next season.</p>
143.  
144.  
145.  
146. <p>Her announcement closely follows the planned departure of manager Emma Hayes for the USWNT, as well as teammate Maren Mjelde, who last week was herself <a href="https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/maren-mjelde-to-leave-chelsea-at-end-of-the-season" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">confirmed to be leaving the club</a> after seven years with Chelsea. </p>
147.  
148.  
149.  
150. <p>Before Sunday&#8217;s fixture against Bristol City, Hayes <a href="https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/emma-hayes-final-programme-notes-as-chelsea-manager" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">thanked</a> the two players for their time with Chelsea and the fans for supporting them throughout her tenure.</p>
151.  
152.  
153.  
154. <p>&#8220;This is my last home game as manager, as well as a chance for you to say farewell to Fran and Maren, two legends of this football club.</p>
155.  
156.  
157.  
158. <p>&#8220;Thank you for always being behind the team, cheering us on whatever the circumstances, and for making this such a special journey. I love you all and I’ll never forget you.&#8221;</p>
159.  
160.  
161.  
162. <p>Following the statement 8-0 win for Chelsea at Kingsmeadow, Kirby and Mjelde were honored with framed jerseys and a passionate send-off from the home crowd.</p>
163.  
164.  
165.  
166.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
167.      </div>
168.  
169.  
170.  
171.  
172.  
173. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
174. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank you will never be enough. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1faf6.png" alt="🫶" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CFCW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">#CFCW</a> <a href="https://t.co/SmKxAk0AQD" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">pic.twitter.com/SmKxAk0AQD</a></p>&mdash; Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChelseaFCW/status/1787242959643259299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">May 5, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
175. </div></figure>
176.  
177.  
178.  
179. <p>So what&#8217;s next for CWFC going into the 2024-25 season, and does this changing of the guard pose any risk for the team&#8217;s era of dominance?</p>
180.  
181.  
182.  
183. <p>The silver lining next year is that fans may look forward to the return of a familiar face as <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/3/6/24087887/sam-kerr-charged-chelsea-australia-emma-hayes-support/" data-wpel-link="internal">Sam Kerr</a> takes on the long recovery process from her ACL injury, who agreed to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/jan/25/sam-kerr-agrees-to-extend-chelsea-contract" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">an extension of her contract</a> which was set to expire this summer.</p>
184.  
185.  
186.  
187. <p>But beyond that, and faced with a challenger for the WSL title in Manchester City, we may be entering a new era of greater parity and competition in the women&#8217;s game in England. </p>
188. <div class="outstream-ad-holder"><div id="div-gpt-ad-outstreamplayer" class="adb-oplayer" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-oplayer"></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/6/24093200/fran-kirby-chelsea-emma-hayes-maren-mjelde-departures/" data-wpel-link="internal">Fran Kirby joins Emma Hayes, Maren Mjelde in Chelsea departure &#8211; the end of an era</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
189. ]]></content:encoded>
193. </item>
194. <item>
195. <title>LGBTQ ally Liam Hendriks continues to be an All Star human as he continues rehab</title>
196. <link>https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24093069/liam-hendriks-boston-red-sox-mlb-talkin-gaysball-anthony-rizzo-chicago-cubs-new-york-yankees/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=liam-hendriks-boston-red-sox-mlb-talkin-gaysball-anthony-rizzo-chicago-cubs-new-york-yankees</link>
198. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ken Schultz]]></dc:creator>
199. <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 18:00:37 +0000</pubDate>
200. <category><![CDATA[baseball]]></category>
201. <category><![CDATA[MLB]]></category>
202. <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
203. <category><![CDATA[tv]]></category>
204. <category><![CDATA[Anthony Rizzo]]></category>
205. <category><![CDATA[Boston Red Sox]]></category>
206. <category><![CDATA[Chicago Cubs]]></category>
207. <category><![CDATA[Chicago White Sox]]></category>
208. <category><![CDATA[Liam Hendriks]]></category>
209. <category><![CDATA[MLB thirst traps]]></category>
210. <category><![CDATA[new york yankees]]></category>
211. <category><![CDATA[Tommy John surgery]]></category>
212. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.outsports.com/?p=24093069</guid>
213.  
214. <description><![CDATA[<p>Even facing a long road back to game action, Hendriks is a credit to baseball. Plus: Thirst Trap of the Week pays tribute to an all time great.</p>
215. <p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24093069/liam-hendriks-boston-red-sox-mlb-talkin-gaysball-anthony-rizzo-chicago-cubs-new-york-yankees/" data-wpel-link="internal">LGBTQ ally Liam Hendriks continues to be an All Star human as he continues rehab</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
216. ]]></description>
217. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
218. <p><em>Welcome back to Talkin’ Gaysball, where we always swipe right on Australian pitchers whose interests are LGBTQ rights and vulgarity.</em></p>
219.  
220.  
221.  
222. <p>One perk of writing about LGBTQ allies in baseball is that I’ve picked up a bunch of new favorite players over the past few years.</p>
223.  
224.  
225.  
226. <p>Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks is at the top of that list. Even before I ever got an Outsports byline, I already liked Hendriks for fully embracing the “raging Australian closer” archetype as his on-field persona.&nbsp;</p>
227.  
228.  
229.  
230. <p>For instance, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2zhIHyHmq4" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">his miked up appearance in the 2021 All Star Game</a> sounded like what would happen if Hugh Jackman developed a condition where he could only communicate by screaming David Mamet dialogue. He was the epitome of a fun baseball dude.</p>
231.  
232.  
233.  
234.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
235.      </div>
236.  
237.  
238.  
239. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
240. <iframe title="Best of Liam Hendriks mic&#039;d up at 2021 All-Star Game" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q2zhIHyHmq4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
241. </div></figure>
242.  
243.  
244.  
245.  
246.  
247. <p>Then in 2022, <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2022/6/15/23168732/white-sox-pitcher-liam-hendriks-pride-night-contract-negotiations-lgbtq-ally/" data-wpel-link="internal">Hendriks revealed</a> that when he spoke with the White Sox as a free agent, he asked them “Do you guys have a Pride Night?” and let them know that this was a requirement in order for him to sign.</p>
248.  
249.  
250.  
251. <p>If there was a Cy Young for allyship, Hendriks would’ve clinched the next five in a row.</p>
252.  
253.  
254.  
255. <p>Since then, though, he’s had a rough go of it healthwise. After the 2022 season, Hendriks revealed he had been diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma.&nbsp;</p>
256.  
257.  
258.  
259. <p>Then when treatments sent the cancer into remission and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QywydbbKIG4" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Hendriks took the mound</a> for one of the most inspirational moments of 2023, he blew out his elbow after only five appearances and underwent Tommy John surgery.</p>
260.  
261.  
262.  
263. <p>LGBTQ fans could be forgiven for thinking, “Even if I can’t give Liam a ligament, could I still donate some karma?”</p>
264.  
265.  
266.  
267. <p>Since signing with the Red Sox this offseason, Hendriks has been rehabbing in the hopes of returning for the second half of 2024. Most players coming back from this kind of injury tend to avoid traveling with their teams because they don’t to give the appearance of hanging around when they can’t contribute on the field.</p>
268.  
269.  
270.  
271. <p>However, <a href="https://theathletic.com/5439588/2024/04/24/red-sox-lucas-giolito-liam-hendriks-rehabs/" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">as Hendriks revealed to The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey</a>, he has gone on every road trip Boston has made this year. The reason?</p>
272.  
273.  
274.  
275.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
276.      </div>
277.  
278.  
279.  
280. <p>He’s visiting hospitals in each road city and meeting with cancer patients to try and make their day a little better.</p>
281.  
282.  
283.  
284. <p>“Whenever I go somewhere, it’s not just me going, it’s like I’m actually going to accomplish something by going there. It’s just a situation where sometimes it’s the people that have gone through something that you can help with and they can help you,” <a href="https://theathletic.com/5439588/2024/04/24/red-sox-lucas-giolito-liam-hendriks-rehabs/" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">he said</a>.</p>
285.  
286.  
287.  
288. <p>Hendriks hasn’t played a game this year and he’s still leading the league in saves.</p>
289.  
290.  
291.  
292. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/liamhendriks2-1024x683.jpg?auto=format&#038;auto=compress&#038;width=1120&#038;org_if_sml=1" alt="" class="wp-image-24093071" srcset="https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/liamhendriks2-1024x683.jpg?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=1024 1024w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/liamhendriks2-1024x683.jpg?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=300 300w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/liamhendriks2-1024x683.jpg?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=768 768w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/liamhendriks2-1024x683.jpg?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=1120 1536w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/liamhendriks2-1024x683.jpg?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=1120 2048w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/liamhendriks2-1024x683.jpg?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=318 318w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This is a moment I can&#8217;t wait to see in 2024. <br>Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure>
293.  
294.  
295.  
296.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
297.      </div>
298.  
299.  
300.  
301. <p>For LGBTQ fans who have seen him step up for organizations like Chicago’s Center on Halsted and Howard Brown Health, it feels like nothing could sum him up better. At a time where everyone would understand if he concentrated on his own health, he’s purposely made road trips to uplift other patients facing what he’s gone through.</p>
302.  
303.  
304.  
305. <p>When Hendriks takes the mound for the first time for Boston, it will mark two years in a row where he gives us a spine-tingling moment on the field. While Tommy John rehab is a grueling process, hopefully it helps him to know that when he throws that first strike, he’ll do it with our entire community having his back.</p>
306.  
307.  
308.  
309. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>MLB Thirst Trap of the Week</strong></h2>
310.  
311.  
312.  
313. <p>It was another milestone week in baseball as Anthony Rizzo followed in the footsteps of <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/4/18/24091878/talkin-gaysball-new-york-yankees-john-sterling-broadcasting-musical-theater-radio-san-diego-padres-pride/" data-wpel-link="internal">Andrew McCutchen</a> and <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/anthony-rizzo-hits-300th-career-homer-in-milwaukee" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">crushed his 300th career home run</a> on Sunday.</p>
314.  
315.  
316.  
317. <p>Rizzo is my favorite player of the 21st century and there’s a good argument to be made that he’s the most important Chicago Cub of all time. When the Cubs traded for Rizzo in 2012, he became the cornerstone of the team that finally vanquished their 108-year championship drought in the most thrilling and dramatic way conceivable.</p>
318.  
319.  
320.  
321. <p>I could not be more grateful for everything he has given me as a fan. It’s no exaggeration to say that my baseball life is better because of Rizzo.</p>
322.  
323.  
324.  
325. <p>At the same time, the fact that he hit No. 300 while wearing a Yankees uniform is the kind of disgrace that causes English major sportswriters to invent words like “catastrabomination.”</p>
326.  
327.  
328.  
329. <p>When Cubs team president Jed Hoyer decided to kickstart a rebuild by trading Rizzo to The Bronx, something in my fandom shattered and it’s still not close to healing. It is my sincere hope that on the blessed future day when Hoyer is finally fired, he is paraded through the streets of Wrigleyville with Clark the Cub ringing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GiPcP30cFc" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">the &#8220;Game of Thrones&#8221; shame bell</a>.</p>
330.  
331.  
332.  
333. <p>Nonetheless, seeing Rizzo become just the 161st player in history to reach that landmark number made me over-the-moon proud of my forever captain.&nbsp;</p>
334.  
335.  
336.  
337. <p>It also brought me back to how I felt in the wake of the 2016 World Series when Rizzo was one of three Cubs to drop in on an SNL “surprise bachelorette party” sketch dressed as what can only be described as an official MLB Licensed exotic dancer.</p>
338.  
339.  
340.  
341.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
342.      </div>
343.  
344.  
345.  
346. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
347. <iframe title="Chicago Cubs team transform into strippers in SNL skit" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5-HC1xwBDLU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
348. </div></figure>
349.  
350.  
351.  
352. <p>Honestly, the only disappointment about Rizzo’s 300th homer was that he didn’t twerk after crossing home plate. Anthony Rizzo forever.</p>
353. <p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24093069/liam-hendriks-boston-red-sox-mlb-talkin-gaysball-anthony-rizzo-chicago-cubs-new-york-yankees/" data-wpel-link="internal">LGBTQ ally Liam Hendriks continues to be an All Star human as he continues rehab</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
354. ]]></content:encoded>
358. </item>
359. <item>
360. <title>Pro wrestler Amber Roze McCormick, aka DangerKid, comes out as trans woman</title>
361. <link>https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24092925/amber-roze-mccormick-dangerkid-trans-pro-wrestling/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=amber-roze-mccormick-dangerkid-trans-pro-wrestling</link>
363. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Brian C. Bell]]></dc:creator>
364. <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 16:21:28 +0000</pubDate>
365. <category><![CDATA[Trans Athletes]]></category>
366. <category><![CDATA[wrestling]]></category>
367. <category><![CDATA[amber roze mccormick]]></category>
368. <category><![CDATA[coming out]]></category>
369. <category><![CDATA[dangerkid]]></category>
370. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.outsports.com/?p=24092925</guid>
371.  
372. <description><![CDATA[<p>Amber Roze McCormick, who stepped away from wrestling in January, made her gender transition announcement over the weekend.</p>
373. <p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24092925/amber-roze-mccormick-dangerkid-trans-pro-wrestling/" data-wpel-link="internal">Pro wrestler Amber Roze McCormick, aka DangerKid, comes out as trans woman</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
374. ]]></description>
375. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
376. <p>Sometimes it takes longer than we may want to truly understand who we are as people. For Amber Roze McCormick, known to many in pro wrestling <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2023/12/5/23988402/qwi-200-best-lgbtq-pro-wrestlers-2023-day-5-wwe-aew-gcw-uk/" data-wpel-link="internal">DangerKid</a>, it took 30 years to reach that destination. The celebration isn&#8217;t to be compromised.</p>
377.  
378.  
379.  
380. <p>McCormick came out as a trans woman Saturday in an emotional <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C6RyLX2vX8b/?img_index=1" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Instagram</a> post in which she detailed the last year that led to this moment. </p>
381.  
382.  
383.  
384. <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C6RyLX2vX8b/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C6RyLX2vX8b/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C6RyLX2vX8b/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">A post shared by Amber Roze <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f495.png" alt="💕" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> (@amberabloom44)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
385.  
386.  
387.  
388. <p>“I can confidently say I’m living my best life and am growing into the best version of myself,” McCormick said. “I am able to sit here and be proud of the growth I’ve managed to achieve and continue to.”</p>
389.  
390.  
391.  
392. <p>The multi-time tag team champion explained that transitioning genders had been a goal she set for herself one year prior during a period of great personal and professional change.</p>
393.  
394.  
395.  
396. <p>McCormick, who previously came out as nonbinary genderfluid in 2021, began undergoing HRT treatment last September and never looked back. </p>
397.  
398.  
399.  
400. <p>“On this day, I can’t help but be moved to tears, realizing that I wrote down ‘transition’ under a list of goals and thinking back to how I was feeling on this day one year ago,” McCromick said. “I am not even close to where I want to be, but the progress I’ve made I didn’t think was possible.”</p>
401.  
402.  
403.  
404. <p>The post came three months after the last time pro wrestling fans saw McCormick in the ring. Her final match as DangerKid (for the foreseeable future) saw her and longtime tag team partner, close friend and fellow out pro wrestler <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2021/3/11/22326047/aiden-aggro-pansexual-lgbtq-coming-out-pro-wrestling-limitless-wrestling-maine-state-posse-pan/" data-wpel-link="internal">Aiden Aggro</a> clash in a 49-minute match at Maine-based Limitless Wrestling’s Jan. 20 event.</p>
405.  
406.  
407.  
408.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
409.      </div>
410.  
411.  
412.  
413. <p>The match itself was framed as the end of the 10-year partnership between the team collectively known as MSP. She detailed how her and Aggro “spilled our hearts out to each other” and worked together to build the angle that would see their paths diverge.</p>
414.  
415.  
416.  
417. <p>That night brought an end to a furious run for MSP, including tag team title reigns in Chaotic Wrestling, New South Pro Wrestling and Blitzkrieg Pro Wrestling among other promotions along the east coast. The duo was also a staple of “EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch” and Pro Wrestling VIBE events that highlighted LGBTQ pro wrestlers in recent years.</p>
418.  
419.  
420.  
421. <p>McCormick explained that she needed to get out of wrestling for reasons associated with her transition and otherwise. “The mental and physical anguish that ten years of being in wrestling does to a person was too much for me with everything else I had going on,” she said. “I don’t know if my days in wrestling are officially over, but for now the time away has been exactly what I needed.”</p>
422.  
423.  
424.  
425.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
426.      </div>
427.  
428.  
429.  
430. <p>Putting aside whether fans ever see her in the ring again, the expressions of love, confidence and affirmation that inundate McCormick’s declaration point to a higher achievement than a championship: finding happiness and comfort within one’s self.</p>
431.  
432.  
433.  
434. <p>Outsports congratulates Amber Roze McCormick for showing the power to live out and proud a second time over and continuing to show that Courage is Contagious.</p>
435. <div class="outstream-ad-holder"><div id="div-gpt-ad-outstreamplayer" class="adb-oplayer" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-oplayer"></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24092925/amber-roze-mccormick-dangerkid-trans-pro-wrestling/" data-wpel-link="internal">Pro wrestler Amber Roze McCormick, aka DangerKid, comes out as trans woman</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
436. ]]></content:encoded>
440. </item>
441. <item>
442. <title>Marta announces retirement, but will she compete at the Paris Summer Olympics?</title>
443. <link>https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24092965/marta-brazil-soccer-summer-olympics-football-player/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=marta-brazil-soccer-summer-olympics-football-player</link>
445. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Cyd Zeigler]]></dc:creator>
446. <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 15:36:15 +0000</pubDate>
447. <category><![CDATA[Olympics]]></category>
448. <category><![CDATA[Soccer]]></category>
449. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.outsports.com/?p=24092965</guid>
450.  
451. <description><![CDATA[<p>Marta is considered the greatest female soccer player of all time. She is ending her run with Brazil in 2024.</p>
452. <p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24092965/marta-brazil-soccer-summer-olympics-football-player/" data-wpel-link="internal">Marta announces retirement, but will she compete at the Paris Summer Olympics?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
453. ]]></description>
454. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
455. <p><a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/1/17/24041039/marta-womens-soccer-fifa-special-award-brazil-world-cup-orlando-pride-nwsl/" data-wpel-link="internal">Marta</a> is the greatest women&#8217;s soccer player of all time. While so many sports garner arguments about who&#8217;s the greatest player, in women&#8217;s soccer, Marta stands alone.</p>
456.  
457.  
458.  
459. <p>With her <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/soccer/brazilian-soccer-legend-marta-says-2024-will-be-last-with-national-team/5358943/" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">announced retirement from the Brazil national football team</a> at the end of the year, the big question is if the GOAT will make one final Summer Olympics appearance.</p>
460.  
461.  
462.  
463. <p>“If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment because regardless of whether I go or not, this is my last year with the national team,” <a href="https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/esportes/futebol/marta-define-aposentadoria-da-selecao-brasileira-saiba-quando-sera/" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">she told CNN Esportes last week</a> in confirming her planned retirement from international soccer.</p>
464.  
465.  
466.  
467. <p>“There is a moment when we have to understand that the time has come. I am very calm about this because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young [players].”</p>
468.  
469.  
470.  
471. <p>It&#8217;s unclear if she&#8217;ll also be hanging up her professional-soccer cleats, though she very well may not be ready to do that quite yet. </p>
472.  
473.  
474.  
475. <p>She&#8217;s been a staple for the Orlando Pride since 2017. Retiring from Brazil&#8217;s national team, with the next World Cup in three years, seems like the right move for the 38-year-old. She has <a href="https://www.nwslsoccer.com/stats/players/all" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">two goals in five games</a> with the Pride so far this season.</p>
476.  
477.  
478.  
479. <p>So what makes her the <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/best-womens-soccer-players-all-time-top-10-football-history/xp4bpwxm75xpcjznnpqtnjin" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">undeniable GOAT of women&#8217;s soccer</a>?</p>
480.  
481.  
482.  
483. <p>She was named the best player in the world by FIFA six times and finished in the top three another seven times. In contrast, three of the best Americans &#8212; Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Abby Wambach &#8212; each won the award once. The next closest in the world is German Birgit Prinz, who won the honor three times.</p>
484.  
485.  
486.  
487. <p>In 2007, Marta was named the best player at the Women&#8217;s World Cup, despite Brazil finishing with a silver. She has scored more FIFA World Cup goals, 17, than any other player, men or women.</p>
488.  
489.  
490.  
491. <p>The one thing missing from her resume is a gold medal in the FIFA Women&#8217;s World Cup or the Olympics, where she won silver in 2004 and 2008. </p>
492.  
493.  
494.  
495. <p>Either way, Paris was going to be her <a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/marta-brazil-announces-international-retirement" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">final shot to compete</a> for an elusive Summer Olympics gold medal. With <a href="https://inside.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/women" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Brazil currently ranked 10th in the world</a>, it will be tough to go out with a magical Hollywood ending and a gold in Paris.</p>
496.  
497.  
498.  
499. <p>Marta has been publicly out for years, having once been <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2021/1/5/22213679/orlando-pride-nwsl-soccer-marta-toni-deion-pressley-engaged/" data-wpel-link="internal">engaged to marry her then-teammate with the Orlando Pride, Toni Pressley</a>.</p>
500. <p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24092965/marta-brazil-soccer-summer-olympics-football-player/" data-wpel-link="internal">Marta announces retirement, but will she compete at the Paris Summer Olympics?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
501. ]]></content:encoded>
505. </item>
506. <item>
507. <title>Brittney Griner was grilled about &#8216;her sick thoughts&#8217; for being gay while a Russian prisoner</title>
508. <link>https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24092996/brittney-griner-was-grilled-about-her-sick-thoughts-for-being-gay-while-a-russian-prisoner/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=brittney-griner-was-grilled-about-her-sick-thoughts-for-being-gay-while-a-russian-prisoner</link>
510. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Buzinski]]></dc:creator>
511. <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
512. <category><![CDATA[wnba]]></category>
513. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.outsports.com/?p=24092996</guid>
514.  
515. <description><![CDATA[<p>The WNBA star opens up about her ordeal in Russia and what being gay in a homophobic society was like.</p>
516. <p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24092996/brittney-griner-was-grilled-about-her-sick-thoughts-for-being-gay-while-a-russian-prisoner/" data-wpel-link="internal">Brittney Griner was grilled about &#8216;her sick thoughts&#8217; for being gay while a Russian prisoner</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
517. ]]></description>
518. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
519. <p>WNBA star <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2022/12/28/23527121/brittney-griner-outsports-2022-person-of-the-year/" data-wpel-link="internal">Brittney Griner</a>&#8216;s 10 months in Russian prisons before being released in a prisoner swap were filled with isolation, pain, loneliness, hunger and fear that she would never be released. It also made her acutely aware of being gay in a country with <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2023/12/4/23984725/russia-lgbtq-rights-paris-2024-athletes/" data-wpel-link="internal">harsh anti-LGBTQ laws</a>.</p>
520.  
521.  
522.  
523. <p>A year and a half after Griner was released from a Russian prison, she is opening up about her experiences in anticipation of next week&#8217;s release of her memoir, &#8220;Coming Home,&#8221; written with Michelle Burford. The New York Times Magazine&#8217;s J Wortham spent a weekend with Griner <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/02/magazine/brittney-griner-book-russia-interview.html" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">for a profile</a> that dives deep into her ordeal and its aftermath.</p>
524.  
525.  
526.  
527. <p>Griner, who had been <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/2/22/24079361/brittney-griner-baylor-university-bears-number-retirement-nicki-collen-jersey-kim-mulkey/" data-wpel-link="internal">out publicly as gay</a> for a decade before her arrest, knew her orientation could be problematic in prison, she told Wortham, describing a psychiatric evaluation.</p>
528.  
529.  
530.  
531. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
532. <p>She lay awake at night, anxious thoughts looping through her head, as she did when she was a child. She thought about [wife] Cherelle and her family. She agonized over bringing shame to the Griner name, over feeding into caustic stereotypes of Black people as drug abusers. There were real threats to deal with as well: She was subjected to a psychiatric evaluation. In Russia, homosexuality is often called a mental illness, and Griner worried that she could be institutionalized. She was asked about her “sick thoughts” and “drug problem” and pressed to admit that she was guilty. &#8230;</p>
533.  
534.  
535.  
536. <p>Prison in Russia reopened old wounds, memories of her adolescent body as an object of fascination and prurient speculation. Guards heckled her, made lewd jokes, asked about her genitalia. Once, she recounted, while returning from the shower with a towel draped around her neck, a guard stopped her and looked her up and down. The guard used her baton to push the towel out of the way and stared at Griner’s chest. Griner was furious but unable to do anything about it.</p>
537. </blockquote>
538.  
539.  
540.  
541.  
542.  
543.  
544.  
545. <p>Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison after being caught in possession of cannabis-based cartridges at a Russian airport in February 2022, a week before Russia invaded Ukraine. She quickly became a pawn of the Russians, who used her to eventually swap with the U.S. for a Russian arms dealer doing time in USP Marion.</p>
546.  
547.  
548.  
549. <p>She told the New York Times that after being transferred to a prison in a remote region of the country,  she adopted a feeling of hopelessness to help her survive. As a 6-9 Black American woman, Griner stood out and had no one inmate with whom she could communicate.</p>
550.  
551.  
552.  
553. <p>“I thought I was going to be there for the long haul,” she told Wortham. “I’m tired of waiting for the day. It’s easier to just accept the situation I’m in. I’m an inmate.”</p>
554.  
555.  
556.  
557.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
558.      </div>
559.  
560.  
561.  
562.  
563.  
564. <p>She details how she became a chain-smoker and used snow shoveling as a way to lift weights to try and stay in shape. When the power in the prison went out, she &#8220;carried hunks of cow from the freezer to the fields where they cooked meals, warming up by the fires. She celebrated Thanksgiving alone with a smoked turkey leg and rice with soy sauce that she bought from the commissary.&#8221;</p>
565.  
566.  
567.  
568. <p>Despite being notified in November 2022 that she would be released, Griner never fully accepted it, refusing to eat food on the plane that was taking her out of the country because she feared it might be poisoned. And she suffered one final indignity, Wortham recounts.</p>
569.  
570.  
571.  
572. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
573. <p>In the morning, she writes [in the book], she was taken to an examination room, where a man who said he was a doctor stood with seven armed guards. She was told to remove her clothes, which she did. He gestured for her to remove her boxers too. Fear coursed through her, but she complied, standing without covering herself or cowering. They began photographing her from every angle — a final display of total power and control over her body.</p>
574. </blockquote>
575.  
576.  
577.  
578.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
579.      </div>
580.  
581.  
582.  
583.  
584.  
585. <p>Her return to the U.S. was filled with moments of joy, but also confusion and what amounted to depression, which the article does a great job of detailing. For example, she has nightmares where she is back in Russia and fears traveling abroad, saying, “If I go to the wrong country, they could literally just grab me.” She will play in Paris at the Olympics because of security guarantees from the U.S. Olympic Committee.</p>
586.  
587.  
588.  
589. <p>The story, which is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/02/magazine/brittney-griner-book-russia-interview.html" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">essential reading</a>, does have an optimistic end, with Griner excited for the upcoming season with the Phoenix Mercury. Griner comes across as a resilient woman and athlete who endured horrific moments and yet still managed to keep her humanity.</p>
590. <div class="outstream-ad-holder"><div id="div-gpt-ad-outstreamplayer" class="adb-oplayer" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-oplayer"></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24092996/brittney-griner-was-grilled-about-her-sick-thoughts-for-being-gay-while-a-russian-prisoner/" data-wpel-link="internal">Brittney Griner was grilled about &#8216;her sick thoughts&#8217; for being gay while a Russian prisoner</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
591. ]]></content:encoded>
595. </item>
596. <item>
597. <title>Denver is only U.S. city still bidding to host Gay Games 2030</title>
598. <link>https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24092985/gay-games-2030-cities-bidders-denver-colorado/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=gay-games-2030-cities-bidders-denver-colorado</link>
600. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Holmes]]></dc:creator>
601. <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 13:07:48 +0000</pubDate>
602. <category><![CDATA[gay games]]></category>
603. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.outsports.com/?p=24092985</guid>
604.  
605. <description><![CDATA[<p>The Gay Games in 2030 now has 10 cities bidding to host, including Denver and Vancouver, as well as three cities in Australia.</p>
606. <p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24092985/gay-games-2030-cities-bidders-denver-colorado/" data-wpel-link="internal">Denver is only U.S. city still bidding to host Gay Games 2030</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
607. ]]></description>
608. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
609. <p>Back in January, there were 11 cities from the United States that expressed <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/1/10/24032283/gay-games-2030-prospective-cities-long-list-bids/" data-wpel-link="internal">interest in hosting the Gay Games</a> in 2030. Now, only one remains in contention.</p>
610.  
611.  
612.  
613. <p>On Thursday, the <a href="https://www.gaygames.org/press-releases/fgg-announces-10-cities-have-successfully-moved-into-the-gay-games-xiii-2030-long-list" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener external" data-wpel-link="external">Federation of Gay Games (FGG) announced</a> that <a href="https://www.denver.org/gay-games-2030/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener external" data-wpel-link="external">Denver, Colo</a>., and nine other cities from around the world will continue through to the next stage.</p>
614.  
615.  
616.  
617. <p>Five continents are represented:</p>
618.  
619.  
620.  
621. <p><strong>North America:</strong>&nbsp;Edmonton, Vancouver (both Canada); Denver (USA)</p>
622.  
623.  
624.  
625.  
626.  
627. <p><strong>Africa:</strong>&nbsp;Cape Town (South Africa)</p>
628.  
629.  
630.  
631. <p><strong>Asia:</strong>&nbsp;Taipei (Taiwan)</p>
632.  
633.  
634.  
635. <p><strong>Europe:</strong>&nbsp;Frankfurt (Germany)</p>
636.  
637.  
638.  
639. <p><strong>Oceania</strong>: Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth (all Australia); Auckland (New Zealand)</p>
640.  
641.  
642.  
643. <p>Each of the 10 cities has submitted an official letter of intent to bid and payment of the first bid fee, said the FGG.</p>
644.  
645.  
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647. <div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
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658. <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C48XPRZug5_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C48XPRZug5_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C48XPRZug5_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">A post shared by Gay Games Denver 2030 (@gaygamesdenver2030)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
659.  
660.  
661.  
662. <div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
663.  
664.  
665.  
666. <p>The 15 cities that have now dropped out of contention are Atlanta, Birmingham, Boston, Honolulu, Miami, Minneapolis, Oak Creek, San Antonio, San Diego, Seattle (all U.S.), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Johannesburg (South Africa), Athens (Greece), Liverpool and London (both U.K.).</p>
667.  
668.  
669.  
670. <p>For those remaining in the process, the FGG says: &#8220;These cities are now expected to submit a first version of their &#8220;bid book&#8221; &#8212; a document which describes how they aim to host the Gay Games in their city &#8212; by August 2024.&nbsp;</p>
671.  
672.  
673.  
674. <p>&#8220;This document will validate that they understand and have control over the whole process of the organization and delivery of the 10-day event.</p>
675.  
676.  
677.  
678. <p>&#8220;These 10 cities will then be invited to present their bids to our extended delegation at the FGG Annual General Assembly in Washington DC in October 2024, and the three finalists will be announced in December 2024.&#8221;</p>
679.  
680.  
681.  
682. <div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
683.  
684.  
685. <div class="wp-block-image">
686. <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1451" height="905" src="https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/screenshot-2024-05-02-at-143732.png?auto=format&#038;auto=compress&#038;width=1120&#038;org_if_sml=1" alt="Gay Games 2030 cities" class="wp-image-24092986" srcset="https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/screenshot-2024-05-02-at-143732.png?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=1120 1451w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/screenshot-2024-05-02-at-143732.png?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=300 300w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/screenshot-2024-05-02-at-143732.png?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=1024 1024w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/screenshot-2024-05-02-at-143732.png?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=768 768w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/screenshot-2024-05-02-at-143732.png?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=318 318w" sizes="(max-width: 1451px) 100vw, 1451px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The locations of the 10 cities left in the running to host the Gay Games in 2030.</figcaption></figure></div>
687.  
688.  
689.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
690.      </div>
691.  
692.  
693.  
694.  
695.  
696. <div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
697.  
698.  
699.  
700. <p>The committee behind the Denver bid <a href="https://www.denver.org/gay-games-2030/news-and-blog/denver-bid-committee-announces-candidacy-for-2030-gay-games-xiii-with-an-endorsement-from-denver-mayor-mike-johnston/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener external" data-wpel-link="external">formally launched its candidacy</a> in late March, with Colorado governor Jared Polis providing an endorsement.</p>
701.  
702.  
703.  
704. <p>Vancouver is the only one of the 10 cities to have staged the Gay Games before, back in 1990 for the third edition. Cleveland, Ohio, was the last U.S. city to host, in 2014.</p>
705.  
706.  
707.  
708. <p>With three cities bidding, Australia stands a strong chance of bringing the Games back to its shores. Sydney was the host city in 2002.</p>
709.  
710.  
711.  
712.  
713.  
714. <p>The last edition of the Gay Games was held jointly in <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2023/11/17/23965351/gay-games-hong-kong-lgbtq-sports-legacy/" data-wpel-link="internal">Hong Kong</a> and Guadalajara, Mexico. <a href="https://gaygamesvalencia2026.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener external" data-wpel-link="external">Valencia</a>, Spain, is set to host in 2026 &#8212; among the bids it defeated in the final shortlist stage for that cycle were Taipei and Auckland.</p>
715.  
716.  
717.  
718. <p>The latter is New Zealand&#8217;s most populous city and recently put on the inaugural <a href="https://www.rainbowgames.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener external" data-wpel-link="external">Rainbow Games</a>, a four-day event featuring 12 different sports.</p>
719. <div class="outstream-ad-holder"><div id="div-gpt-ad-outstreamplayer" class="adb-oplayer" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-oplayer"></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24092985/gay-games-2030-cities-bidders-denver-colorado/" data-wpel-link="internal">Denver is only U.S. city still bidding to host Gay Games 2030</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
720. ]]></content:encoded>
724. </item>
725. <item>
726. <title>Daria Kasatkina told she can room with her girlfriend in Saudi Arabia as another woman is jailed there for speaking out</title>
727. <link>https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24092969/daria-kasatkina-wta-finals-saudi-arabia-gay-lgbtq-manahel-al-otaibi/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=daria-kasatkina-wta-finals-saudi-arabia-gay-lgbtq-manahel-al-otaibi</link>
729. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Holmes]]></dc:creator>
730. <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 12:17:00 +0000</pubDate>
731. <category><![CDATA[human rights]]></category>
732. <category><![CDATA[tennis]]></category>
733. <category><![CDATA[Women's Sports]]></category>
734. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.outsports.com/?p=24092969</guid>
735.  
736. <description><![CDATA[<p>As Daria Kasatkina gives an optimistic outlook on the WTA Finals in Riyadh, tennis fans have been learning about the plight of Saudi activist Manahel al-Otaibi.</p>
737. <p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24092969/daria-kasatkina-wta-finals-saudi-arabia-gay-lgbtq-manahel-al-otaibi/" data-wpel-link="internal">Daria Kasatkina told she can room with her girlfriend in Saudi Arabia as another woman is jailed there for speaking out</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
738. ]]></description>
739. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
740. <p>Reporters must be ready to pounce when athletes make their way through the mixed zones at sports events.</p>
741.  
742.  
743.  
744. <p>Even a soundbite can set the news agenda. In tennis, <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2023/12/20/24008191/daria-kasatkina-gay-lgbtq-outsports-awards-female-hero-of-the-year-2023/" data-wpel-link="internal">Daria Kasatkina</a> is an in-demand interviewee. A quick quote from her at the Madrid Open this week has put LGBTQ human rights, and <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/4/4/24090783/wta-finals-riyadh-saudi-arabia-lgbtq-gay-human-rights-daria-kasatkina/" data-wpel-link="internal">the WTA&#8217;s lucrative new Finals deal</a>, back in the headlines.</p>
745.  
746.  
747.  
748. <p>Tour chiefs recently confirmed Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the location for their end-of-season showpiece tournament following months of criticism from <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/1/17/24041878/martina-navratilova-chris-evert-wta-saudi-arabia-riyadh-jon-wertheim/" data-wpel-link="internal">Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert</a> and <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2023/11/17/23965193/nadia-podoroska-guillermina-naya-doubles-tennis-gay-lgbtq/" data-wpel-link="internal">others</a>, including <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/saudi-arabia-pif-tennis-wta-atp-tour-b2370509.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener external" data-wpel-link="external">Kasatkina</a> herself.</p>
749.  
750.  
751.  
752. <p>Those opposed to a high-profile sports partnership with a kingdom that continues to treat many of its citizens with brutal repression and the very real threat of execution (it&#8217;s said that Saudi lawmakers handed down <a href="https://reprieve.org/uk/2024/01/02/saudi-arabia-executed-at-least-172-people-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener external" data-wpel-link="external">at least 172 death sentences last year</a>) were ultimately defeated.</p>
753.  
754.  
755.  
756. <p><a href="https://twitter.com/martina/status/1775986300740337698" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener external" data-wpel-link="external">Navratilova</a> insinuated that the WTA leadership needed player power to get the deal done. Leading names were consulted over the plans, not least those on the influential Players&#8217; Council. With the prize money on offer so much greater in Saudi, the final call was surely based on the bottom line.</p>
757.  
758.  
759.  
760.  
761.  
762. <p>Not that you&#8217;d see that suggested in an official announcement of course, and <a href="https://www.wtatennis.com/news/3952623/riyadh-selected-as-the-host-of-wta-finals-from-2024-2026" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener external" data-wpel-link="external">the WTA&#8217;s media release</a> was laced with mentions of creating an inspirational legacy for women and young girls. In Madrid, Kasatkina said she could appreciate the ambition.</p>
763.  
764.  
765.  
766. <p>&#8220;The Saudis now are very into the sport,&#8221; <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/articles/ceve4459v7vo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener external" data-wpel-link="external">she told the BBC</a>. &#8220;They want to develop the sport.</p>
767.  
768.  
769.  
770. <p>&#8220;And as long as it gives the opportunity to the people there, and the young kids and the women to actually see the sport &#8212; so that they can watch it, they can play it, they can participate in this, I think it’s great.&#8221;</p>
771.  
772.  
773.  
774.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
775.      </div>
776.  
777.  
778.  
779. <p>It&#8217;s just one part of the picture for Vision 2030, Mohammed bin Salman&#8217;s multi-billion-dollar scheme to turbo-charge the Gulf state for the benefit of next and future generations.</p>
780.  
781.  
782.  
783. <p>Sports that draw a global audience are being added to the project like high-end trinkets to a jewellery counter. If the Saudis like it, then decide they want it, they just go right ahead and buy it &#8212; men&#8217;s golf, big boxing fights, WWE, the 2034 men&#8217;s football World Cup, and now women&#8217;s tennis.</p>
784.  
785.  
786.  
787. <p>What comes packaged with those purchases is actual people &#8212; athletes, coaches, fans, media, in all their diversity &#8212; which is why getting a quote about Saudi from Kasatkina has become even more prized.&nbsp;</p>
788.  
789.  
790.  
791. <p>By being very gay, and very out &#8212; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@What_The_Vlog/videos" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener external" data-wpel-link="external">her vlogs with girlfriend Natalya are required viewing for many fans</a> &#8212; she is a potential Finals participant whom the Saudis would not consider a good role model for their women and young girls.</p>
792.  
793.  
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795. <div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
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804. <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3rXBQDvZ1f/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3rXBQDvZ1f/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3rXBQDvZ1f/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">A post shared by Daria Kasatkina<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f42c.png" alt="🐬" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> (@kasatkina)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
805.  
806.  
807.  
808. <div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
809.  
810.  
811.  
812. <p>Within hours of the deal announcement, the WTA&#8217;s commercial exec was <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2024/04/04/same-sex-couples-gay-share-rooms-wta-finals-saudi-arabia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener external" data-wpel-link="external">cheerily advising the media</a> that assurances were in place to allow gay or bi players to share hotel rooms with their girlfriends, despite the fact a Saudi resident who is even suspected of being in a same-gender relationship would risk being imprisoned or worse.</p>
813.  
814.  
815.  
816. <p>Kasatkina told the BBC she had been given &#8220;guarantees&#8221; that she would be accommodated safely in Riyadh. It was a brief answer &#8212; probably given in a busy mixed zone, when tired from the match, with not a lot of time or energy to talk through the nuances.&nbsp;</p>
817.  
818.  
819.  
820. <p>Nor could she be expected to get into the double standards of a state which so heavily surveils its citizens &#8212; and criminalizes some of them &#8212; but is happy to turn a blind eye to LGBTQ foreigners rooming together if they happen to be handy with a tennis racquet.</p>
821.  
822.  
823.  
824.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
825.      </div>
826.  
827.  
828.  
829. <p>Kasatkina gave her quote on Sunday and exited the Madrid Open the next day. On Wednesday morning, news broke about Mahanel al-Otaibi, <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/04/saudi-arabia-woman-jailed-for-11-years-for-online-expression-supporting-womens-rights/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener external" data-wpel-link="external">a 29-year-old Saudi woman reportedly jailed for 11 years</a> for campaigning on social media for equality and wearing &#8220;indecent clothing.&#8221;</p>
830.  
831.  
832.  
833. <p>Mahanel is described as a fitness instructor and yoga enthusiast, who advocates for female empowerment. She sounds exactly like the target audience for the WTA, an organization whose founders and key figures kickstarted a revolution in professional women’s sports.</p>
834.  
835.  
836.  
837. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
838. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“Manahel al-Otaibi’s social media accounts portrayed her as a young and progressive woman who loves fitness, art, yoga, travel, while also promoting women’s rights.”<br><br>Sentenced to 11 years in jail by government of Saudi Arabia, new home of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WTAFinals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">#WTAFinals</a><a href="https://t.co/1v3FPZDBX7" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">https://t.co/1v3FPZDBX7</a></p>&mdash; Jon Holmes (@jonboy79) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonboy79/status/1785570326186754501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">May 1, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
839. </div></figure>
840.  
841.  
842.  
843. <p>Mahanel won’t have the &#8220;opportunity&#8221; to watch, play, or participate in tennis any time soon. Her situation seems incredibly unjust, particularly when spoken about in the context of sports and their fundamental sense of fair play.</p>
844.  
845.  
846.  
847. <p>There are others like her in jail. Amnesty International says: &#8220;Al-Otaibi’s sentencing comes amid an intensified crackdown on free speech&#8230; In the past two years, Saudi courts have convicted and handed down lengthy prison terms on dozens of individuals for their expression on social media, including many women, such as Salma al-Shehab (27 years), Fatima al-Shawarbi (30 years), Sukaynah al-Aithan (40 years) and Nourah al-Qahtani (45 years).&#8221;</p>
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859.  
860. <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6d-EYEIn-z/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6d-EYEIn-z/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6d-EYEIn-z/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">A post shared by Amnesty International <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f30e.png" alt="🌎" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> (@amnesty)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
861.  
862.  
863.  
864. <div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
865.  
866.  
867.  
868. <p>It feels like there is growing pressure on Kasatkina to be the spokesperson against such hypocrisies and injustices. It is an invidious position considering the whole objective of her season is to win enough rankings points to reach Riyadh.</p>
869.  
870.  
871.  
872. <p>With six months still to go before Saudi Arabia hosts its first Finals, it&#8217;s a long time to traverse such a tightrope, as reporters lob questions about human rights at her and the potential grows to cause a controversy that could come back to haunt you.</p>
873.  
874.  
875.  
876. <p>Meanwhile, other players are asked only about tiebreaks and topspin &#8212; one more imbalance caused by the WTA putting money above morals.</p>
877. <div class="outstream-ad-holder"><div id="div-gpt-ad-outstreamplayer" class="adb-oplayer" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-oplayer"></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/3/24092969/daria-kasatkina-wta-finals-saudi-arabia-gay-lgbtq-manahel-al-otaibi/" data-wpel-link="internal">Daria Kasatkina told she can room with her girlfriend in Saudi Arabia as another woman is jailed there for speaking out</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
878. ]]></content:encoded>
882. </item>
883. <item>
884. <title>Boxer Ryan Garcia said he&#8217;s &#8216;gay&#8217; if he took steroids. He tested positive for them. Soooo&#8230;</title>
885. <link>https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/2/24092967/ryan-garcia-steroids-gay-boxer-positive-test/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ryan-garcia-steroids-gay-boxer-positive-test</link>
887. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Cyd Zeigler]]></dc:creator>
888. <pubDate>Thu, 02 May 2024 20:29:27 +0000</pubDate>
889. <category><![CDATA[Boxing]]></category>
890. <category><![CDATA[steroids]]></category>
891. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.outsports.com/?p=24092967</guid>
892.  
893. <description><![CDATA[<p>Ryan Garcia tested positive for a banned substance before saying something stupid about being gay. Did he just come out?</p>
894. <p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/2/24092967/ryan-garcia-steroids-gay-boxer-positive-test/" data-wpel-link="internal">Boxer Ryan Garcia said he&#8217;s &#8216;gay&#8217; if he took steroids. He tested positive for them. Soooo&#8230;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
895. ]]></description>
896. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
897. <p>Ryan Garcia is in a heap of trouble, and it has little to do with his crack about being gay.</p>
898.  
899.  
900.  
901. <p>The professional boxer reportedly <a href="http://ostarine" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">tested positive twice</a> for the banned <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/2/15/24067642/enhanced-games-lgbtq-gay-language-coming-out-aron-dsouza/" data-wpel-link="internal">performance-enhancing drug</a> ostarine before his latest match, against fellow boxer Devin Haney. The positive tests have made him, how shall we say, a bit ornery. </p>
902.  
903.  
904.  
905. <p>He&#8217;s gone full-blown, unhinged denial on social media. </p>
906.  
907.  
908.  
909. <p>In one message, he tried to use the gays as some kind of a shield? Or come out? </p>
910.  
911.  
912.  
913. <p>You be the judge.</p>
914.  
915.  
916.  
917.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
918.      </div>
919.  
920.  
921.  
922. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
923. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If I took the steroids then I’m forsure GAY</p>&mdash; RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanGarcia/status/1785837177773150254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">May 2, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
924. </div></figure>
925.  
926.  
927.  
928. <p>It&#8217;s certainly true, a lot of gay men, particularly in the United States, are turning to <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2008/5/27/3862810/bigger-stronger-faster-looks-at-steroids-in-america/" data-wpel-link="internal">steroids</a> to build their muscles big and strong for the other boys. So maybe he&#8217;s commenting on that? Is it possible Garcia frequents <a href="https://www.instagram.com/findyourgps/?hl=en" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">GPS</a> and <a href="https://masterbeat.com/" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Masterbeat parties</a> in Los Angeles?</p>
929.  
930.  
931.  
932. <p>People took the bait and immediately piled on Garcia for his ridiculous statement, implying that he&#8217;s actually coming out of the closet as gay himself, given he has, in fact, tested positive for steroids. </p>
933.  
934.  
935.  
936. <p>Multiple times.</p>
937.  
938.  
939.  
940.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
941.      </div>
942.  
943.  
944.  
945. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
946. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Is this your way of saying that you are coming out of the closet?</p>&mdash; *Gamechanger* (@Gamechanger0510) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gamechanger0510/status/1785839527019368850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">May 2, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
947. </div></figure>
948.  
949.  
950.  
951. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
952. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">So this is admission that you are ?</p>&mdash; Con (@DaConstrict) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaConstrict/status/1785837283197010345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">May 2, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
953. </div></figure>
954.  
955.  
956.  
957. <p>It&#8217;s great to see people turn his ridiculousness on its head. It&#8217;s hard to even say what Garcia said is homophobic. It&#8217;s just stupid. </p>
958.  
959.  
960.  
961. <p>Garcia has been on the defensive on X for the last 24 hours. The 25-year-old who lives in Los Angeles proclaims &#8220;Jesus Christ is King of Kings&#8221; in his X profile. And apparently Jesus is a banned subastance:</p>
962.  
963.  
964.  
965.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
966.      </div>
967.  
968.  
969.  
970. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
971. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">IM ON THE JESUS STEROID</p>&mdash; RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanGarcia/status/1785858261377560786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">May 2, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
972. </div></figure>
973.  
974.  
975.  
976. <p>Whether the likes it or not, he has tested positive for a steroid. And it is banned. According to the <a href="https://www.usada.org/spirit-of-sport/education/substance-profile-ostarine/" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">U.S. Anti-Doping Agency</a>: </p>
977.  
978.  
979.  
980. <p>&#8220;Ostarine is prohibited at all times under the S1 Anabolic Agent category of the WADA Prohibited List. The number of positive tests involving ostarine has increased steadily over the past few years, with WADA reporting 28 globally in 2015.&#8221;</p>
981.  
982.  
983.  
984. <p>Garcia will now add to the 2024 total, whether he&#8217;s gay or not. </p>
985.  
986.  
987.  
988. <p>At 25-1 he&#8217;s got a lot to lose with a positive steroid test. Where will this lead his career&#8217;s next steps? Keep your X open and get your popcorn ready.</p>
989. <div class="outstream-ad-holder"><div id="div-gpt-ad-outstreamplayer" class="adb-oplayer" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-oplayer"></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/2/24092967/ryan-garcia-steroids-gay-boxer-positive-test/" data-wpel-link="internal">Boxer Ryan Garcia said he&#8217;s &#8216;gay&#8217; if he took steroids. He tested positive for them. Soooo&#8230;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
990. ]]></content:encoded>
994. </item>
995. <item>
996. <title>Middle school track protest against a trans athlete becomes a lawsuit in West Virginia &#8211; here&#8217;s what&#8217;s next</title>
997. <link>https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/2/24092900/becky-pepper-jackson-trans-athlete-transgender-protest-lawsuit-election-politics/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=becky-pepper-jackson-trans-athlete-transgender-protest-lawsuit-election-politics</link>
999. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Karleigh Webb]]></dc:creator>
1000. <pubDate>Thu, 02 May 2024 16:01:17 +0000</pubDate>
1001. <category><![CDATA[Track and Field]]></category>
1002. <category><![CDATA[Trans Athletes]]></category>
1003. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.outsports.com/?p=24092900</guid>
1004.  
1005. <description><![CDATA[<p>The protest against trans middle school athlete Becky Pepper-Jackson heads into court for reasons procedural and seemingly political. </p>
1006. <p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/2/24092900/becky-pepper-jackson-trans-athlete-transgender-protest-lawsuit-election-politics/" data-wpel-link="internal">Middle school track protest against a trans athlete becomes a lawsuit in West Virginia &#8211; here&#8217;s what&#8217;s next</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
1007. ]]></description>
1008. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
1009. <p>Two weeks after a federal appeals court affirmed her place on her girls middle school track team, the name &#8220;Becky Pepper-Jackson&#8221; may be heard in a courtroom again.</p>
1010.  
1011.  
1012.  
1013. <p>This time, the lawsuit was brought forward by some people who don&#8217;t want her in the game.</p>
1014.  
1015.  
1016.  
1017. <p>Parents representing several middle schoolers <a href="https://westvirginiawatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Filed-Complaint-wo-verification.pdf" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">have filed suit in a Harrison County, W.V. circuit court</a>. The middle-school children of the parents had protested the 13-year-old trans girl <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/4/23/24092207/trans-athlete-school-becky-pepper-jackon-protest-west-virginia/" data-wpel-link="internal">competing in a county championship meet </a>in West Virginia last month. </p>
1018.  
1019.  
1020.  
1021. <p>Their contention centers around the five protesting student-athletes, all representing Lincoln Middle School in Shinnston, W.V., being held out of the Mid Mountain 10 Championships on April 27. </p>
1022.  
1023.  
1024.  
1025. <p>According to the suit, they were not allowed to compete as a form of disciplinary action after they were apparently punished by the school&#8217;s track coach at practice earlier in the week.</p>
1026.  
1027.  
1028.  
1029. <p>All five were at a press conference called by West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey to show support for the protests and to highlight that he would go to the U.S. Supreme Court to directly challenge the federal ruling that allows Jackson to compete. Noted anti-trans activist and former collegiate swim athlete Riley Gaines was also in attendance.</p>
1030.  
1031.  
1032.  
1033. <p>One of the five protesting student-athletes, Emmy Salerno, addressed the press conference, although her parents opted out the legal action. </p>
1034.  
1035.  
1036.  
1037. <p>&#8220;About two year ago the transgender movement started becoming more and more popular,&#8221; <a href="https://vimeo.com/938226924" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">the eighth-grader stated.</a> &#8220;I started to think that this can&#8217;t be right and all of my teammates started to get beat by a boy. This made me feel like I had to do something.&#8221;</p>
1038.  
1039.  
1040.  
1041. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="624" src="https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/emmy-salerno-gaines-1024x624.png?auto=format&#038;auto=compress&#038;width=1120&#038;org_if_sml=1" alt="" class="wp-image-24092914" srcset="https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/emmy-salerno-gaines-1024x624.png?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=1024 1024w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/emmy-salerno-gaines-1024x624.png?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=300 300w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/emmy-salerno-gaines-1024x624.png?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=768 768w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/emmy-salerno-gaines-1024x624.png?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=1120 1536w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/emmy-salerno-gaines-1024x624.png?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=318 318w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/emmy-salerno-gaines-1024x624.png?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=1120 1800w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">West Virginia eighth-grader Emmy Salerno cited Gaines (left) as a mentor in building a protest against Pepper-Jackson during a meet April 18 &#8212; West Virginia &#8212; photo by ago.wv.gov</figcaption></figure>
1042.  
1043.  
1044.  
1045.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
1046.      </div>
1047.  
1048.  
1049.  
1050. <p>Salerno, along with Gaines and West Virginia Attorney General Morrisey, did not address Pepper-Jackson by name, but did misgender her throughout their remarks at the press conference.</p>
1051.  
1052.  
1053.  
1054. <p>One day after the parents were notified, they filed suit and Morrisey drafted an amicus brief supporting them. It cites that the suspension violated the student-athletes&#8217; First Amendment Rights and went against due process called for by West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission, the state&#8217;s governing body for middle school and high school sports.</p>
1055.  
1056.  
1057.  
1058. <p>&#8220;The WVSSAC did not direct that they be removed from rosters for tomorrow’s<br>track-and-field meet; even if it had, the sanction is beyond heavy-handed,&#8221; <a href="https://westvirginiawatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Middle-school-athletes-Amicus-brief-State-of-WV.pdf" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Morrisey wrote in his amicus brief.</a> &#8220;This categorical bar is not a matter of team discipline; it is a matter of condemning protest behavior.&#8221;</p>
1059.  
1060.  
1061.  
1062.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
1063.      </div>
1064.  
1065.  
1066.  
1067. <p> According to the lawsuit, and reported by a number of outlets, unless an injunction is given the protesting student &#8220;will not be permitted to engage in athletic competition&#8221; perhaps beyond the last Saturday&#8217;s meet. <a href="https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/548473/results/f/1/shot" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">However, all five did participate in the South Harrison Middle School Invite Monday.</a> Salerno won the shot put event and helped Lincoln win the girl&#8217;s team title in the four-team meet.</p>
1068.  
1069.  
1070.  
1071. <p>This is where the situation gets confusing. There is the constitutional right to protest and the matter of due process in regulation, but what does this mean for the lawsuit if it was just a one-meet suspension? Given that all five have competed since the protest and the initial fallout, it begs the question of what happens next.</p>
1072.  
1073.  
1074.  
1075. <p>What is clear is what this could mean for an Attorney General of West Virginia with political ambitions. <a href="https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2024/04/29/wv-gop-governor-front-runners/" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Morrisey is in the middle of a tense fight for the Republican nomination for governor</a>, and the polls are razor thin with the primary looming May 14. </p>
1076.  
1077.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
1078.      </div>
1079.  
1080.  
1081.  
1082.  
1083.  
1084. <p>Becky Pepper-Jackson is at the center of all of this, even if detractors won&#8217;t say her name but demean her every chance they get. <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/4/16/24091742/trans-athlete-ban-west-virginia-supreme-court-next-step/" data-wpel-link="internal">Never mind that she is affirmed as a girl in every facet of her life and state law.</a> Never mind that she has never seen any part of a male puberty, although Morrisey tried to describe her as a <a href="https://youtu.be/hRpFMyhKt0A?si=ZZcdxAb1b8zYDj_L" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">&#8220;hulking male&#8221;</a> in an interview last week.</p>
1085.  
1086.  
1087.  
1088. <p>She was also absent from last weekend&#8217;s Mid Mountain 10 conference meet although her Bridgeport Middle School team did participate. Outsports reached out to school officials on her status for the remainder of the season but did not get a reply.</p>
1089. <div class="outstream-ad-holder"><div id="div-gpt-ad-outstreamplayer" class="adb-oplayer" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-oplayer"></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/2/24092900/becky-pepper-jackson-trans-athlete-transgender-protest-lawsuit-election-politics/" data-wpel-link="internal">Middle school track protest against a trans athlete becomes a lawsuit in West Virginia &#8211; here&#8217;s what&#8217;s next</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
1090. ]]></content:encoded>
1094. </item>
1095. <item>
1096. <title>&#8216;World&#8217;s Strongest Gay&#8217; Rob Kearney to retire after World&#8217;s Strongest Man event</title>
1097. <link>https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/2/24092908/worlds-strongest-gay-rob-kearney-worlds-strongest-man-retire/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=worlds-strongest-gay-rob-kearney-worlds-strongest-man-retire</link>
1099. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Buzinski]]></dc:creator>
1100. <pubDate>Thu, 02 May 2024 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
1101. <category><![CDATA[Out Athletes]]></category>
1102. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.outsports.com/?p=24092908</guid>
1103.  
1104. <description><![CDATA[<p>Rob Kearney can lift prodigious amounts of weight. But his biggest success has been as an advocate for LGBTQ athletes.</p>
1105. <p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/2/24092908/worlds-strongest-gay-rob-kearney-worlds-strongest-man-retire/" data-wpel-link="internal">&#8216;World&#8217;s Strongest Gay&#8217; Rob Kearney to retire after World&#8217;s Strongest Man event</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
1106. ]]></description>
1107. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
1108. <p><a href="https://www.outsports.com/2019/12/26/21035682/gay-strongman-rob-kearney-outsports-male-hero-2019/" data-wpel-link="internal">Rob Kearney</a> has spent years lifting just about anything — logs, cars, sandbags, very heavy weights — in his job as a professional strongman athlete. It won him the title of the &#8220;<a href="https://fitnessvolt.com/rob-kearney-lovelace-strongest/" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">pound for pound world&#8217;s strongest man</a>&#8221; among many accolades.</p>
1109.  
1110.  
1111.  
1112. <p>After this week, though, Kearney is done with strongman events, deciding to retire after the <a href="https://www.theworldsstrongestman.com/" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">World&#8217;s Strongest Man</a> competition in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Thus will end the pro career of the self-proclaimed but hard to dispute &#8220;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/worlds_strongest_gay/" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">World&#8217;s Strongest Gay</a>.&#8221;</p>
1113.  
1114.  
1115.  
1116. <p>&#8220;The 2024 Worlds Strongest Man will be my final competition,&#8221; Kearney <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6JYt5TA-OA/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">announced this week on Instagram</a>. &#8220;I have been so fortunate to live the life I have as a Professional Strongman and honestly have achieved more in this sport than I could have ever dreamed. Starting this sport as a 17 year old in 2009, I never imagined I would one day call my self one of the worlds strongest men. Through perseverance and consistency I worked my way to the biggest competitions in the world by the motto &#8216;Train to be the person they said you’d never become.&#8217;</p>
1117.  
1118.  
1119.  
1120. <p>&#8220;Thank you to everyone throughout the years who have given me love and support while following my dreams. [<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jkearney15/" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Husband, Joey Kearney</a>], none of this would have been possible without your love, enthusiasm and commitment to me. I can’t thank you enough for everything you have done for me. To my coaches who helped guide me &#8230;  thank you for your believe in me as an athlete. To my sponsors, thank you for finding value in my voice. And to my fans, this life would not have been possible without you, so thank you for dancing with me, laughing with me and always cheering me on.</p>
1121.  
1122.  
1123.  
1124.  
1125.  
1126. <p>&#8220;I have so much love for this sport, and the people in it, and I am excited to give back to the sport that gave me so much. Thank you all again, and let’s go out with one last HOORAH!&#8221;</p>
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1129.  
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1137. <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6JYt5TA-OA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6JYt5TA-OA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6JYt5TA-OA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">A post shared by Rob Kearney (@worlds_strongest_gay)</a></p></div></blockquote>
1138. <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
1139.  
1140.  
1141.  
1142.  
1143.  
1144. <p>Throughout his career, Kearney has been out and proud as a gay man, winning legions of fans with his honesty, <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2019/3/18/18270002/openly-gay-pro-strongman-rob-kearney-marries-boyfriend/" data-wpel-link="internal">his love for Joey</a> and smashing stereotypes of masculinity and power. In 2019, we chose Kearney as our <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2019/12/26/21035682/gay-strongman-rob-kearney-outsports-male-hero-2019/" data-wpel-link="internal">Male Hero of the Year</a> for his advocacy, writing:</p>
1145.  
1146.  
1147.  
1148. <p>His profile has also led him to become an advocate for LGBTQ people. This is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gazettenet.com/-World-s-Strongest-Gay-speaks-at-Frontier-30913530" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">what Kearney told a group of middle school students</a>&nbsp;in Massachusetts, where kids are at an age where they start to become aware of their sexuality.</p>
1149.  
1150.  
1151.  
1152. <p>“The biggest thing I want you all to realize is, you know, once you aren’t afraid to actually be yourself, that’s when you actually get to experience real happiness,” he told the middle-schoolers, sporting his trademark rainbow mohawk. “For me, it’s when I got to experience real love, once I was finally able to break down all those walls and accept me for who I actually was, it completely changed my life and let me be able to talk to students like you about the things that I’ve done in this world.”</p>
1153.  
1154.  
1155.  
1156. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/stoneoff-day3-wsm2216044-1024x683.jpg?auto=format&#038;auto=compress&#038;width=1120&#038;org_if_sml=1" alt="" class="wp-image-24092942" srcset="https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/stoneoff-day3-wsm2216044-1024x683.jpg?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=1024 1024w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/stoneoff-day3-wsm2216044-1024x683.jpg?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=300 300w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/stoneoff-day3-wsm2216044-1024x683.jpg?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=768 768w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/stoneoff-day3-wsm2216044-1024x683.jpg?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=1120 1536w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/stoneoff-day3-wsm2216044-1024x683.jpg?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=1120 2048w, https://cosxeuwlta.cloudimg.io/_outsports-prodweb_/uploads/2024/05/stoneoff-day3-wsm2216044-1024x683.jpg?auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=318 318w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rob Kearney, left, is competing in his fifth World Strongest Man competition. Credit: <a href="https://www.theworldsstrongestman.com/" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">World Strongest Man</a></figcaption></figure>
1157.  
1158.  
1159.  
1160.  <div class=" adb-os-inarticle" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-os-inarticle">
1161.      </div>
1162.  
1163.  
1164.  
1165.  
1166.  
1167. <p>This is Kearney&#8217;s fifth appearance at the World&#8217;s Strongest Man competition, which started Wednesday, where competitors perform in categories such as &#8220;car walk,&#8221; &#8220;stone off,&#8221; &#8220;globe viking press&#8221; and &#8220;sandbag steeplechase.&#8221;</p>
1168.  
1169.  
1170.  
1171. <p>In retirement Kearney will still be involved with fitness, as he and Joey just opened a <a href="https://www.crossfitironlegacy.com/" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external noopener noreferrer">CrossFit gym</a> in Long Meadow, Mass. We wish them the best and know Kearney is far from retiring from making a difference.</p>
1172. <div class="outstream-ad-holder"><div id="div-gpt-ad-outstreamplayer" class="adb-oplayer" data-adbridg-ad-class="adb-oplayer"></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/2/24092908/worlds-strongest-gay-rob-kearney-worlds-strongest-man-retire/" data-wpel-link="internal">&#8216;World&#8217;s Strongest Gay&#8217; Rob Kearney to retire after World&#8217;s Strongest Man event</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.outsports.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Outsports</a>.</p>
1173. ]]></content:encoded>
1177. </item>
1178. </channel>
1179. </rss>
1180.  

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