ESPN Shows Gay Champion Bowler Kiss Husband

The network might just have made history in doing so.

Diane Anderson-Minshall

Diane Anderson-Minshall is the CEO of Pride Media, and editorial director of The Advocate, Out, and Plus magazine. She's the winner of numerous awards from GLAAD, the NLGJA, WPA, and was named to Folio's Top Women in Media list. She and her co-pilot of 30 years, transgender journalist Jacob Anderson-Minshall penned several books including Queerly Beloved: A Love Across Genders.

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Diane Anderson-Minshall

January 02 2013 11:50 AM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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In what Outsports calls a possible first, TV network ESPN showed an out gay athlete kissing his husband after winning the 2012 PBA Chameleon Bowling Championship in Las Vegas. The winner, Scott Norton, held his head in his hands and cried after winning, then kissed and hugged his husband, Craig Woodward. According to JW, a gay bowler, and a friend of Norton's, IABowling.tv's Jaime Perez, ESPN's announcers referred to Woodward as Norton's husband or spouse throughout the telecast.

According to JW, ESPN also said Norton "came out after his win in 2011 during the telecast. They also mentioned that his first title win in 2011 helped him come out the shadow of his mother, Hall of Fame bowler Virginia Norton, but that this second win defined him as a true threat on tour."

The win, says Outsports, makes Norton a rising (gay) star on the professional bowling circuit. A full rundown of the event is at Outsports.com.