Resembling a third-place finisher in a Rene Russo lookalike contest — and I’m honestly confused about whether I mean that as a compliment — the celebrity formerly known as Bruce Jenner graced the cover of Vanity Fair this month in his new personage: Caitlyn, the female soul Jenner told Diane Sawyer he’s always had.
Jenner is probably the most famous person to come out as a lady, but not the first professional athlete. That distinction, you’ll remember, belongs to Renée Richards, née Richard Raskind, the former captain of the Yale men’s tennis team who successfully sued to join the women’s tour in 1977. Richards peaked at No. 19 in the world and endured bitter public protests and death threats for the trouble.
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