The Group Chat: She’s gay, Marcus

The best way to counter harmful policies and rhetoric targeting queer folks? Joy. That’s why we’re honoring the unique subculture at the intersection of sports fandom and LGBTQIA+ communities with some of our favorite, happiest, iconic queer moments in sports.

• Forward this newsletter to your Staceys and Marcuses, then let’s jump in.

One of the most unforgettable sports fandom and LGBTQIA+ identity moments has to be, “They’re lesbians, Stacey.” In a 2021 tweet, a fan misidentified the undeniable postgame PDA between USWNT alum Kristie Mewis and Australian WNT superstar Sam Kerr (who are now engaged) as a display of “friendship.” A fellow fan then gently corrected her with the now-iconic phrase, and the rest is history.

• “They’re lesbians, Stacey” went viral in the queer sports fan community and can be found everywhere from Etsy merch to the comments section on Mewis’ recent Instagram post featuring her and Kerr’s new son, Jagger.

• Competing with “They’re lesbians, Stacey” as the official catchphrase of queer sports fan culture? Hockey’s 2024 equivalent, “She’s gay, Marcus,” referencing another power couple: newly-married Montréal Victoire teammates Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey.

Speaking of famous sports couples, another hallmark of queer joy in sports is when athletes date teammates…or competitors. It’s especially fun to follow in the WNBA — take DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith, who both play for the Dallas Wings after hooping together at Baylor, or DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun teammates…until this offseason.

• The tea can be especially hot when relationships bridge deep international rivalries — see: hockey legends and Olympians Caroline Ouellette and Julie Chu, who captained Team Canada and Team USA, respectively, in the early 2010s.

And you can’t talk about famous queer couples in sports without mentioning the queens: Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe. Two of the most famous athletes in the history of the WNBA and NWSL, respectively, they both retired from playing in recent years but are still everywhere in the women’s sports space, from Bird’s media company to Rapinoe’s advocacy to their joint production venture, A Touch More.

• The two met while competing in the 2016 Olympics (casual) and have been engaged since 2020. And while their individual playing careers and post-retirement projects are changing the game for women’s sports, their romantic relationship is arguably the most impactful.

All of these examples unsurprisingly come from women’s pro sports, but despite having zero active players who are publicly out across all five major pro men’s leagues in the U.S. and Canada, queer sports culture is becoming increasingly prevalent in men’s sports, too.

• Example A comes with a bit of whiplash. After finally embracing Pride Nights, the NHL reversed course, banning Pride jerseys and stick tape in 2023 after some players refused to participate. Thankfully, the backlash was swift and powerful.

• Led by fans’ and then–Arizona Coyote Travis Dermott’s resistance, LBGTQIA+ advocates pressured the NHL into reversing the reversal. Say it with us now: hockey is for everyone.

There’s still much more work to do, but this Pride Month, we’re celebrating the collective power of queer athletes and sports fans — and the joy that comes with being a part of that community. Loud and proud, baby.