---
title: "Few in LGBT community see pro sports as friendly"
description: "Just 4% of LGBT adults in the U.S. said that professional sports leagues are friendly toward LGBT people."
date: "2014-02-10"
authors:
  - name: "Michael Lipka"
    job_title: "Associate Director, Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/michael-lipka/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/02/10/few-in-lgbt-community-see-pro-sports-as-friendly/"
---

# Few in LGBT community see pro sports as friendly

Michael Sam could become the first openly gay player in the NFL after [coming out publicly to ESPN](http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/10429030/michael-sam-missouri-tigers-says-gay) over the weekend. Sam finished his college career as a star defensive lineman at the University of Missouri and is eligible for the NFL draft in May.

[![DN_Sports_LGBT2](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/02/DN_Sports_LGBT2.png)](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2013/06/13/a-survey-of-lgbt-americans/#sports-figures)

Several major American sports leagues have yet to feature an active, openly gay male player, and LGBT Americans have negative feelings toward pro sports leagues in general. A [Pew Research survey of LGBT adults](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2013/06/13/a-survey-of-lgbt-americans/#sports-figures) conducted last year in the U.S. found that just 4% saw pro sports leagues as friendly toward LGBT people, while a majority (59%) saw the leagues as unfriendly and 36% saw them as neutral.

Only 2% of LGBT Americans [mentioned sports figures](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/06/SDT_LGBT-Americans_Topline.pdf) when they were asked about which public figures at the national level they saw as important to advancing their rights.

Although Sam said [his teammates at Missouri were supportive](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/10/sports/michael-sam-college-football-star-says-he-is-gay-ahead-of-nfl-draft.html?_r=0) after he came out to them last summer, an [article on Sports Illustrated’s website](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20140209/michael-sam-draft-stock/?eref=sihp) includes anonymous quotes from several NFL executives and coaches questioning the league’s readiness for an openly gay player in a locker room, with some predicting that Sam’s announcement could cause him to be selected later in the draft.

Former NBA player [Jason Collins announced that he is gay](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130429/jason-collins-gay-nba-player/) last year, but the 35-year-old center [has not played in the league](http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10364363/jason-collins-staying-shape-heads-state-union) since his announcement.