Athletes who have come out as LGBTQ in high school and college report widespread acceptance from teammates, according to a new study.

By the numbers: More than 95% of the athletes surveyed said their teammates’ responses to them coming out were “neutral” to “perfect.”

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  • 4.6% of respondents said their experience was “bad” or worse. 24.8% said the response was “perfect or near perfect.”

  • The study, conducted by Outsports, the University of Winchester and the Sports Equality Foundation, surveyed over 800 LGBTQ athletes in the U.S. and Canada about their experiences.

What they’re saying: “This reflects years of research … all showing athletes are more comfortable with gay teammates than most anyone thought possible,” said Eric Anderson of the University of Winchester.

  • “The first time I ever admitted to someone I was gay was in front of all 130 of my fellow teammates,” said one college football player. “[I]t was a spur of the moment decision. So glad I did it.”

  • “My experience has overwhelmingly been that teammates are more open and supportive of their peers when coming out because of the shared bonds … that sports offer them,” said UCLA softball coach Kirk Walker, who is gay.

The big picture: This locker room acceptance reflects the publicly shared experiences of pro athletes like NFL player Carl Nassib, who came out and June and has barely been a story — another sign of progress.

  • 72% of Americans say homosexuality should be accepted in society, up from 49% in 2007, per the Pew Research Center.

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