It's a fair question to ask, and someone's sexual preference is not as clear as their skin colour, for sure. I'm no expert on any of these topics, but there's at least one thing we can do to dig at least a little deeper into your question: how many pro riders (MTB, road, cross, etc) can you name that are open about identifying as anything other than heterosexual? Of course if you can't name any that doesn't mean there aren't any - not suggesting that at all - just that if statistically the number is x out of xx, in the pro ranks of all those disciplines I think I might be able to come up with 2-3 out of something like 1-2,000 pros. This is not researched, authoritative, or even close to accurate, but the point is that if pros don't yet feel comfortable coming out, it's a certainty that non-pros don't in many cases, either. Same as in most sports, sadly.
Feb. 24, 2021, 3:43 p.m. - Pete Roggeman
It's a fair question to ask, and someone's sexual preference is not as clear as their skin colour, for sure. I'm no expert on any of these topics, but there's at least one thing we can do to dig at least a little deeper into your question: how many pro riders (MTB, road, cross, etc) can you name that are open about identifying as anything other than heterosexual? Of course if you can't name any that doesn't mean there aren't any - not suggesting that at all - just that if statistically the number is x out of xx, in the pro ranks of all those disciplines I think I might be able to come up with 2-3 out of something like 1-2,000 pros. This is not researched, authoritative, or even close to accurate, but the point is that if pros don't yet feel comfortable coming out, it's a certainty that non-pros don't in many cases, either. Same as in most sports, sadly.