5 Inspiring LGBTQ+ Sportswomen Driving Change Beyond The Field

This is the third and final article in our special series for Lesbian Visibility Day 2025. Head to our blog to read the other two now!

Queer women have been shattering the glass ceiling in sports for decades. But beyond their incredible accomplishments on the pitch and field, these female athletes have also become inspiring advocates for social change. Keep reading to discover five LGBTQ+ sportswomen who are using their platform to make a difference.

With a swathe of accomplishments under her belt, including leading the Lionesses to Euros glory in 2022 and winning the FA Women's Super League (WSL) title twice, Leah Williamson is an absolute tour de force in women’s football. However, Williamson has also used her platform to advocate on behalf of endometriosis sufferers.

After officially being diagnosed with endometriosis in 2021, Williamson has spoken about how severe pains before the 2022 Euros almost made her miss the tournament. She has since become a vocal champion for change in the research and support for endometriosis sufferers, talking openly about her symptoms and experiences to raise awareness.

On top of being an advocate for this condition, Williamson has also used her platform to fight for equal access for girls to play football in schools. She joined the Lionesses in writing an open letter to the government that advocated for more guidance for female PE teachers and a minimum of two hours of weekly PE time for girls in education.

With five European Championship and two Commonwealth Games medals, Kirsty Gilmour (who uses both female and non-binary pronouns) has spent most of the last decade in the top 30 world rankings of badminton players. Openly identifying as a lesbian, Gilmour has publicly spoken about being part of the LGBTQ+ community and the importance of celebrating lesbian visibility in sports.

Gilmour has also pushed for change in the sports industry. She has called for more funding for badminton in Scotland and advocated for a rule change after receiving a yellow card for leaving the court to deal with their period at the recent YONEX All England Open. She said:

“I would deem that a medical emergency, not to get graphic, but there is blood involved and to receive a yellow card for that I think we need to rethink those rules. [...] I would have bled on the court if they didn’t let me go, so what the hell am I supposed to do?”

Known as one of the greatest strikers in modern women’s football, Vivian Miedema is a total goal machine. Not only is she the all-time leading scorer in the FA Women’s Super League, but she’s also scored more goals for her Netherlands home country at international level than any other football player – both women and men.

Off the pitch, Miedema frequently uses her platform to enact social change – when she’s not raising the cutest dog ever with footballer girlfriend Beth Mead, of course! In 2021, Miedema joined the charity campaign Common Goal, pledging to give at least 1% of her salary to a collective fund supporting football charities across the globe. The following year, she led the campaign’s emergency response to help the victims of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Miedema is also an ambassador for War Child, a nonprofit organisation supporting children affected by violence and armed conflict. In 2024, Miedema joined 100+ women’s footballers to sign an open letter calling for FIFA to stop their sponsorship with Saudi Aramco, on the grounds of human rights violations.

Success has followed professional golfer Georgia Hall since her first swing. After winning the Ricoh Women's British Open in 2018, Hall became the first British woman to win a major championship since 2004. On top of tons of other impressive accolades, Hall also represented Team GB at the 2024 Olympic Games , joining other proud LGBTQ+ athletes in representing their country.

Hall has been actively involved in supporting breast cancer awareness, using her social media platforms to talk about the importance of checking your breasts and nominating breast cancer charities at golfing competitions. She has also taken part in initiatives like Honda LPGA Thailand's bra prosthesis project, sewing prosthetic breasts for donation to breast cancer patients at Chonburi Cancer Hospital. 

You name it, Lucy Bronze has won almost every accolade in women’s football. As one of the best right-backs in the world, Bronze boasts five Champions League titles, and three Women’s Super League titles and was a major part of the incredible Lionesses’ Euros 2022 win. Bronze has also been named one of the 100 best footballers (men and women) of all time by the football magazine Men in Blazers.

Four years ago, Bronze was officially diagnosed as having autism and ADHD. She has since become an ambassador for the National Autistic Society, helping to amplify the charity’s work in raising awareness around autism and changing social attitudes towards the condition.

Bronze has also spoken publicly about her mental health, opening up about challenges she has faced for Mental Health Awareness Week to encourage young people and adults to speak to their peers when struggling. She has also worked alongside the suicide prevention charity, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), on several mental health campaigns.