PrettyInLace Even a gay athlete has an appearance to uphold. There are a handful out in every sport and while every trashy magazine wants to get the scoop on what the gays are up to, looking for a scandal and a way to ruin us, every one of us is constantly on our best behavior. Acting a certain way, dressing a certain way, speaking a certain way. If the world knew the real me, it’d shudder. Lace. Pearls. Dresses. Collars. All I want is to be someone’s pretty little doll that they dress up and tell me how pretty I am. I want to be loved for the real me, not the image I’m forced to show to the world just so I can keep my spot on the ice. The only place I find that escape is in an online role-playing game where I can be the sexy femme mage and get my flirt on. Find the man of my dreams. And I do. He’s a big, hot druid ready to sweep me off my feet. Now, if only I could find the courage to tell him who I am and trust that he won’t share it with the rest of the world. I’m not ready to end my career yet. DemiDefenseKip I’m known for my defensive plays. Aggressive. Precise. Quick. Strong. On the ice, I’m an icon that the world loves to put on a pedestal and worship. I’ve carefully cultivated everything about my public appearance to capitalize on my short career. Considering I’m a noted queer athlete—a title that never strays too far from any article—I’m truly living a charmed life. What the world doesn’t know is that it’s not just my sexuality that makes having a relationship in the spotlight difficult. It’s also because I’m demisexual. Finding someone interested in me, and not my jersey or bank balance, has proven especially challenging. So how does someone with a recognizable face the world over find love? If you figure it out, let me know. This is an LGBT+ story with mature content.