The LGBTQ+ Sports Hall of Fame announced its 2026 inductees, honoring a group of trailblazing athletes, coaches, executives and advocates whose work has shaped LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports.
The announcement was made during a Jan. 20 press conference at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., where LGBTQ+ Sports Hall of Fame leaders also revealed that the organization will bring its induction ceremony to Chicago in 2027, returning to the city where the Hall of Fame was founded in 2013.
The announcements come as the Hall of Fame continues a period of revitalization following its 2025 partnership with the Sports Equality Foundation.
“These [inductees] embody the very spirit of our mission of the Hall of Fame,” Scott Bova, chair of the LGBTQ+ Sports Hall of Fame, said in a statement. “Their contributions to sports and advocacy have paved the way for greater inclusion and have inspired countless athletes and fans worldwide.”
The 2026 LGBTQ+ Sports Hall of Fame inductee class includes:
- Maybelle Blair, a trailblazer in women’s sports who came out as lesbian at 95 and inspired the Amazon series A League of Their Own.
- Nikki Hiltz, a four-time U.S. champion and Olympian who is an outspoken advocate for transgender and nonbinary athletes.
- Bill Kennedy, a veteran NBA referee who became the league’s second openly gay official in 2015.
- Phaidra Knight, a rugby legend who has won 35 caps for the U.S. and participated in three Women’s Rugby World Cups.
- Anthony Nicodemo, a high school basketball coach and athletic director who’s a founding member of the Sports Equality Foundation and advocated for inclusion in sports through several organizations.
- Ryan O’Callaghan, who played six NFL seasons and came out as gay in 2017, overcoming addiction and mental health challenges.
- Robin Roberts, ABC’s Good Morning America co-anchor who spent 15 years as a SportsCenter anchor at ESPN.
- Rick Welts, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks who started in the sports industry as a ballboy at age 16 and worked his way up to an executive.
- Sue Wicks, a former Rutgers standout who led the NCAA in scoring and rebounding and was the 1988 National Player of the Year.
- Dan Woog, a journalist, author and long-time high school soccer coach who’s advocated for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports.
In addition to the 2026 inductee class, the LGBTQ+ Sports Hall of Fame announced two recipients of its Glenn Burke Award, which honors individuals whose courage and authenticity have helped transform the sports world.
Named for Glenn Burke—the first Major League Baseball player to come out as gay during his career—the award recognizes Hall of Fame members who have broken barriers, expanded inclusion and inspired future generations to live openly and proudly.
The 2026 Glenn Burke Award honorees are Billie Jean King and Jason Collins. King, a global sports icon and longtime advocate for gender equity and LGBTQ+ rights, has used her platform for decades to challenge discrimination and elevate women’s sports. Collins made history in 2013 as the first active NBA player to come out publicly.
The 2026 LGBTQ+ Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place June 25 in New York City, where the newly announced inductees and Glenn Burke Award honorees will be formally enshrined.
The LGBTQ+ Sports Hall of Fame was founded in Chicago in 2013 at Center on Halsted, where its first class of inductees was celebrated and the organization established its mission of honoring LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches, executives and advocates who helped shape the sports world.
For Bill Gubrud, a Chicagoan and co-founder of the LGBTQ+ Sports Hall of Fame, the organization’s return to Chicago in 2027 represents both a homecoming and a reaffirmation of its original purpose.
“When we launched this initiative here, our mission was simple: to honor the athletes, coaches and leaders whose courage and authenticity shaped the world of sports and advanced equality for LGBTQ people everywhere,” Gubrud said.
Nicodemo, one of the 2026 inductees, said honoring LGBTQ+ leaders in sports is about more than recognition—it is about preserving history and signaling possibility for future generations.
“We’re under attack every single day,” Nicodemo said. “Our protections are trying to be rolled back, so being part of this group is important. The other piece is making sure we continue to honor our history, because there’s a lot of people who don’t know this, and we’re in a time where the administration is trying to roll back and rewrite history. We can’t let that happen.”