Martina Navratilova

When reports of her sexual orientation surfaced in the media, she did little to hide her homosexuality. "I never thought there was anything strange about being gay," she said in her autobiography. "Even when I thought about it, I never panicked and thought, 'Oh, I'm strange, I'm weird, what do I do now?'" Her more publicized lesbian relationships involved author Rita Mae Brown and former women's basketball standout Nancy Lieberman. Though Navratilova's public declaration probably cost her millions in endorsement dollars, others praised her for her forthrightness. She remains active today with charities that help gay rights, disadvantaged children and animal rights.