QUESTION

Is it easier being out in a sport that is typically queer? I’m not sure if I should come out to my teammates, even though I know some/most are queer

Answer

Representation of other queer people in your sport is always so important! It’s helpful to know you’re not alone, to be able to see parts of yourself reflected in these folks, and also observe how others on your team support or don’t support them. With that being said, you can only come out once YOU are truly ready to. And sometimes you might need a bit more time than your other LGBTQ+ teammates and that is totally OK! For me, when I was first sharing my identity, I came out to one teammate at a time. The first person I ever told was a teammate I really trusted. Telling them then gave me the courage and confidence to tell someone else and then someone else and so on. When you’re ready, my advice is find one person you know you can trust and just go from there!

Emma Gee & Nikki Hiltz
She/Her & They/Them

Emma Gee is a queer professional track athlete specializing in the 3000 meter steeplechase & currently training for the 2024 Track & Field Olympic Trials. She was the first LGBTQ+ athlete to come out publicly at BYU and actively works to challenge anti-queer policies at religious institutions through her Queer Athlete Podcast and as co-race director of the Pride 5K.

Nikki Hiltz is a trans nonbinary professional track athlete, and is the first openly non-binary runner to win a USA Track and Field championship title. The middle-distance specialist is a 4 time USATF National Champion, a seven-time NCAA All-American, World Championship finalist, Pan American Games gold medalist, World Indoor Silver Medalist and American Record Holder.