Trailblazers Recognized as LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame Unveils Class of 2026

The LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame’s 2026 class honors a generation of athletes, executives, officials, and journalists whose courage and visibility reshaped basketball and the broader sports world.

The LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2026 this week, spotlighting a group of trailblazers whose impact stretches across professional basketball, sports media, and league leadership. The new class includes NBA referee Bill Kennedy, journalist and broadcaster Robin Roberts, Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Welts, former professional rugby player Phaidra Knight, and former WNBA standout Sue Wicks. Former NBA center Jason Collins will also be recognized with the Glenn Burke Award, which honors individuals who demonstrate courage and authenticity in transforming sports.

Four of the honorees share deep ties to basketball, underscoring the sport’s complicated but steadily evolving relationship with LGBTQ+ inclusion. Collectively, their careers chart decades of progress, resistance, and, ultimately, visibility.

Bill Kennedy, who began his NBA officiating career during the 1995–96 season, became the league’s second openly gay referee in 2015. His decision to come out followed a highly publicized incident in Mexico City, when then Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo directed a gay slur at him after being ejected from a game against the Sacramento Kings.

Rather than retreat, Kennedy spoke publicly, turning a moment of hostility into one of reckoning for the league. Since then, he has officiated multiple NBA Finals, worked the 2010 FIBA World Championships and the 2012 Summer Olympics, and become a fan favorite for his animated explanations of replay reviews. He is currently sidelined with a strained hamstring suffered earlier this month.

Robin Roberts‘ induction reflects a career that bridges athletic excellence and broadcasting influence. Before becoming a household name as a co-anchor on “Good Morning America,” she played college basketball and laid the foundation for her career in sports journalism. She publicly acknowledged her sexual orientation in December 2013.

Her accolades include induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012, the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2016, and the NBA’s Sager Strong Award in 2019. She also received the Billie Jean King Contribution Award in 2004 and was named an honorary Harlem Globetrotter in 2015. From 1990 to 2005, Roberts worked at ESPN, including narrating “Vintage NBA” on ESPN Classic, a biographical series exploring the lives and legacies of players, coaches, and league history.

Rick Welts, one of the most influential executives in modern basketball, came out as gay in a 2011 interview with The New York Times, becoming the first openly gay prominent American sports executive. His resume spans decades, growing up in Seattle, he served as a ball boy for the SuperSonics, later joining their front office and contributing to the franchise’s 1979 NBA championship. He is credited with creating NBA All-Star Weekend, helping market the 1992 Olympic “Dream Team,” and playing a central role in launching and promoting the WNBA.

Welts won three NBA championships with Golden State from 2015 to 2018 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 as a contributor. Though he stepped away from his executive role in 2021, he remained with the organization as an adviser.

Sue Wicks made history in 2002 when she came out publicly, becoming the WNBA’s first openly gay player. Drafted sixth overall by the New York Liberty in the league’s inaugural 1997 draft, she spent her entire six-year WNBA career with the Liberty. A four-time Finals participant, Wicks earned All-Star honors and the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award in 2000 and finished eighth all-time in blocks at the time of her retirement.

Her dominance extended well beyond the professional ranks; she averaged 21.2 points and 10.9 rebounds at Rutgers and was inducted into both the Rutgers Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Former USA Rugby star Phaidra Knight was also inducted into the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026, recognized for her groundbreaking career and unapologetic visibility as a Black, queer woman in professional rugby. Knight earned 35 caps with the U.S. national team and competed in the 2006 Women’s Rugby World Cup, becoming one of the most decorated American players of her era.

Openly gay throughout her career, Knight has long spoken about the intersecting barriers of race, gender, and sexuality in elite sports, later channeling that advocacy into media and public speaking. Since retiring from competition, she has worked as a commentator, analyst, and writer, using her platform to challenge exclusion in sports culture and expand public understanding of LGBTQ athletes beyond traditionally spotlighted leagues.

Jason Collins, meanwhile, will receive the Glenn Burke Award for a legacy defined by visibility and resolve. A first-round pick in 2001, Collins came out publicly after the 2012–13 season and, in February 2014, became the first openly gay active male athlete in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues when he signed with the Brooklyn Nets.

Late in his career, he wore jersey No. 98 to honor Matthew Shepard, whose 1998 murder became a flashpoint in the fight against anti-gay violence. That jersey became the NBA’s top online seller. In December 2025, Collins and his partner, film producer Brunson Green, announced that Collins was undergoing treatment for Stage 4 glioblastoma.

In announcing the class, the Sports Equality Foundation said the honorees reflect “unwavering commitment to equity, representation, and leadership in athletics.” Together, the Class of 2026 stands as a testament to the ways courage, persistence, and excellence have expanded who gets to be seen, celebrated, and remembered in sports.

The full list of LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026 inductees includes:

• Rick Welts — NBA executive and marketing pioneer
• Bill Kennedy — Veteran NBA referee
• Sue Wicks — Former WNBA player and trailblazer
• Dan Woog — LGBTQ sports journalist and advocate
• Robin Roberts — Journalist and television broadcaster
• Maybelle Blair — Baseball pioneer and activist
• Nikki Hiltz — Olympic middle-distance runner
• Ryan O’Callaghan — Former NFL offensive lineman
• Phaidra Knight — U.S. rugby star and Olympian
• Anthony Nicodemo — High school basketball coach and inclusion advocate

Glenn Burke Award

In addition to its Hall of Fame inductees, the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame also honors recipients of the Glenn Burke Award, named for Glenn Burke, the first Major League Baseball player to come out as gay during his professional career. The award recognizes individuals whose courage and authenticity have transformed the sports landscape, celebrating those who have broken barriers, fostered inclusion, and inspired future generations to live openly and proudly.

The 2026 Glenn Burke Award honorees are:

• Billie Jean King — Tennis legend, sports icon, and lifelong advocate for gender equity and LGBTQ rights, whose leadership reshaped women’s sports and expanded pathways for equality across athletics.
• Jason Collins — The first openly gay active player in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues, whose public coming out marked a watershed moment for representation in men’s professional sports.