In the 79th minute of Minnesota United’s July 4 victory over Toronto F.C., fans at TCF Bank Stadium stood up and applauded midfielder Collin Martin as he came off the bench.
Less than a week earlier, Martin had become the only active male athlete in the major professional sports leagues to come out as gay. That appearance as a substitute was his first since making the announcement.
Jason Collins followed in 2013, playing 22 games in the NBA after coming out. In 2014, SEC defensive player of the year Michael Sam became the first player to be drafted after coming out.