of Gay athlete named grand marshal of Rose Parade She is actually the second gay athlete to receive this honor.
Tennis legend Billie Jean King will serve as grand marshal of the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena prior to the Rose Bowl.
“I am thrilled to announce that I have been selected to be the Grand Marshal of the 2025 Rose Parade to usher in the new year.” King wrote about X.
“It is an honor to serve in this role at the 136th Annual Rose Parade and participate in the pregame ceremony for the Rose Bowl Game. I am truly excited to be part of the Tournament of Roses family.”
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King grew up in Southern California, was born in Long Beach and attended college at California State University, Los Angeles. So she’s no stranger to the glitz and excitement of the Rose Parade.
Another openly gay athlete has been chosen as Grand Marshal of the Rose Parade. In 2017, Greg Louganis rode in the Grand Marshal car after the Rio Summer Olympics. This year was one of the few years in which there was more than one grand marshal, with the addition of Olympians Janet Evans and Allyson Felix (who had just won two golds and one silver in Rio).
King was a pioneer in the sport on so many levels, one of the founders of women’s professional tennis, one of the first (if not the first) athlete to gain public attention, and one of the first (if not the first) athlete to gain public attention, and in her later years. He was also co-owner of the Tennis Association. She is a driving force behind not only the Los Angeles Dodgers, but also the advancement of women’s ice hockey.
Last year, King, along with his partner Ilona Cross, was named to the top of OutSports’ Power 100, a list of the 100 most influential LGBTQ people in American sports. Apparently the Tournament of Roses was watching!
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Source: Outsports – www.outsports.com
