In April of 2013, basketball player Jason Collins came out as openly gay, the first player in the NBA to do so. Tennis player Billie Jean King, football player Michael Sam, soccer player Abby Wambach and others join him in the professional athletes who identify themselves as openly gay.

The number of homosexuals in the population isn’t quantifiable. Sources claim it is anywhere from 3.5% to 20%, but its accuracy is hard to verify because of the sensitivity of the issue.

For homosexual athletes, they do not only have themselves to think about when they decide to come out. They also have to worry about the reactions of their teammates. While homosexual athletes have received a lot of support, it is not that way across the board. The proposed American Decency Act of 2014, originally proposed to keep gay athletes from playing in the NFL, states that teams must provide separate facilities for gay athletes or pay a 3-8 million dollar fine.

Reporter: Hannah Daly

Photographers: Claire Hunt and Jake Fideler