Long before she became a household name after her detainment in Russia, Brittney Griner was a legend in LGBTQ sports history.
unexpectedly asked her about sexuality.
“In female sports, women’s sports, in the WNBA, players have already come out, and it’s really accepted. Why is there a difference between men and women in that issue?” the reporter, Maggie Gray asked. “I really couldn’t give an answer on why that’s so different. Being one that’s out, it’s just being who you are. Again, like I said, just be who you are,” Griner told the magazine. “Don’t worry about what other people are going to say, because they’re always going to say something, but, if you’re just true to yourself, let that shine through. Don’t hide who you really are.
Cyd Zeigler, the founder of the LGBTQ sports site Outsports, said the “amazing part” of Griner’s coming out story is that she came out publicly at the beginning of her career. “It’s very rare that an athlete at the very top of their game comes out, as they’re ascending, as they’re starting their career,” Zeigler said. “She was so confident in herself, so confident in acceptance in the WNBA, that she’s like: ‘Screw it! I can be whoever I want.’ That’s the beauty of her story.”by placing her number, 42, on all 12 arena courts for the 2022 season.