2016 Outsports LGBT Sports Year in Review

The newsworthy, relevant, meaningful and sometimes sexy stories of the year.
From: OutSports

There was not one overriding LGBT sports story in 2016, but it was still very newsy.

Here is a year in review, hitting stories that were important, historic, newsworthy or sometimes just fun. It is most remembered for a record number of out LGBT Olympians at the Summer Games in Rio, where 47% of them won a medal.

This recap does not feature most of the dozens of coming out stories we ran in 2016. You can check out that list here.

Cristianon Ronaldo in his favorite uniform.

JANUARY

The L.A. Kings showed a gay couple kissing on the Kiss Cam and the crowd loved it. "It was a particularly sweet night since the Kings were playing and beat my hometown Toronto," one part of the gay couple said. "My parents and siblings live in LA but the rest of my family think I am a terrible traitor for being a Kings fan; I've lived in LA for 17 years."

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said fans can boo and chant as long as it’s not racist or homophobic. "I don't agree with any type of racist or homophobic language, any of that type of stuff from the crowd to the people on the field. But ‘scoreboard' and ‘air ball' and ‘fundamentals,' which is a great chant?" Rodgers told ESPN.

FIFA, soccer’s governing body fined Mexico for its fans continuing to chant gay slurs during matches. Sadly, the practice did not stop and Mexican fans who chant the slur continue to be assholes.

The International Olympic Committee released groundbreaking guidelines on transgender athletes that do not require surgery.

Cristiano Ronaldo kicked around a soccer ball in his underwear. Just because.

Adam Rippon won the U.S. figuring skating championship as an openly gay man and praises the occult. “I'm like a witch and you can't kill me. I keep coming back every year and every year I get better.”