Raiders' Carl Nassib becomes first active NFL player to come out as gay
The Las Vegas Raiders' Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out as gay. The defensive end made the announcement in an Instagram post on Monday, adding he's agonized over this moment for the last 15 years.
"I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay," Nassib said. "I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now but finally feel comfortable getting it off my chest. I really have the best life, the best family, friends and job a guy can ask for.
“I’m a pretty private person so I hope you guys know that I’m not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important. I actually hope that one day, videos like this and the whole coming out process are not necessary, but until then I will do my best and my part to cultivate a culture that’s accepting and compassionate."
He added he will start to do his part by donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project, an organization focused on crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth under the age of 25.
In a written statement, Nassib added that he was "greeted with the utmost respect and acceptance" from the NFL, his coaches and fellow players and was thankful for their support. "I would not have been able to do this without them," he wrote.
Nassib, 28, is entering his second year with the Raiders and his sixth in the league. He has 20.5 career sacks and 143 combined tackles, 97 of which are solo.
Former defensive end and current free agent Ryan Russell congratulated Nassib after his announcement, saying "Ball out this season brother!" Russell came out as bisexual in 2019 and intended to stay active in the league but has not been on a roster since then.
June is known as Pride Month and it honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, which is considered a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States.
Who is Carl Nassib?
Vic Tafur, Raiders beat writer: Nassib was best known for a "Hard Knocks" appearance in 2018 when he gave Browns teammates funny and non-sensical financial advice. As he said in his Instagram post, he is a very private person and probably won't do many interviews. But, he said he wanted to be visible for the LGBTQ+ community's "fight for quality and acceptance."
The history of former players coming out
Lindsay Jones, senior NFL writer: Nassib's announcement is historic because he is now the first out active NFL player who is expected to be on an active roster.
Other NFL players have come out post-retirement, dating back to former running back David Kopay, who played in the late 1960s and early 1970s and came out in 1975; nine-year NFL defensive tackle Esera Tuaolo, who came out in 2002, three years after his last game; and former Chiefs and Patriots offensive lineman Ryan O'Callaghan, who played from 2006-2011 and came out in 2017.
Former University of Missouri defensive end Michael Sam was the first openly gay player drafted into the NFL in 2014, but he did not make the St. Louis Rams' roster and never played in a regular-season game.
How important is this for the NFL?
Jones: This is a long-anticipated day in the NFL; not for Nassib's announcement, specifically, but for the day an active player would feel comfortable enough to come out publicly.
For all of the progress that's been made toward inclusion in the league in recent years — the league office as an LGBTQ+ affinity group, as well as the league sponsoring a float in the New York City Pride parade pre-COVID-19, for example — there is still an underlying tone of homophobia, and questions about how a gay player would be received in the locker room.
Nassib's announcement won't immediately change that, but he is now a trailblazer, and the overwhelmingly positive initial response to his announcement could help other LGBTQ+ individuals in the NFL follow his lead.
Source: https://theathletic.com/news/raider...ve-nfl-player-to-come-out-as-gay/V0SRVDvCyCnL
The Las Vegas Raiders' Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out as gay. The defensive end made the announcement in an Instagram post on Monday, adding he's agonized over this moment for the last 15 years.
"I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay," Nassib said. "I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now but finally feel comfortable getting it off my chest. I really have the best life, the best family, friends and job a guy can ask for.
“I’m a pretty private person so I hope you guys know that I’m not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important. I actually hope that one day, videos like this and the whole coming out process are not necessary, but until then I will do my best and my part to cultivate a culture that’s accepting and compassionate."
He added he will start to do his part by donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project, an organization focused on crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth under the age of 25.
In a written statement, Nassib added that he was "greeted with the utmost respect and acceptance" from the NFL, his coaches and fellow players and was thankful for their support. "I would not have been able to do this without them," he wrote.
Nassib, 28, is entering his second year with the Raiders and his sixth in the league. He has 20.5 career sacks and 143 combined tackles, 97 of which are solo.
Former defensive end and current free agent Ryan Russell congratulated Nassib after his announcement, saying "Ball out this season brother!" Russell came out as bisexual in 2019 and intended to stay active in the league but has not been on a roster since then.
June is known as Pride Month and it honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, which is considered a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States.
Who is Carl Nassib?
Vic Tafur, Raiders beat writer: Nassib was best known for a "Hard Knocks" appearance in 2018 when he gave Browns teammates funny and non-sensical financial advice. As he said in his Instagram post, he is a very private person and probably won't do many interviews. But, he said he wanted to be visible for the LGBTQ+ community's "fight for quality and acceptance."
The history of former players coming out
Lindsay Jones, senior NFL writer: Nassib's announcement is historic because he is now the first out active NFL player who is expected to be on an active roster.
Other NFL players have come out post-retirement, dating back to former running back David Kopay, who played in the late 1960s and early 1970s and came out in 1975; nine-year NFL defensive tackle Esera Tuaolo, who came out in 2002, three years after his last game; and former Chiefs and Patriots offensive lineman Ryan O'Callaghan, who played from 2006-2011 and came out in 2017.
Former University of Missouri defensive end Michael Sam was the first openly gay player drafted into the NFL in 2014, but he did not make the St. Louis Rams' roster and never played in a regular-season game.
How important is this for the NFL?
Jones: This is a long-anticipated day in the NFL; not for Nassib's announcement, specifically, but for the day an active player would feel comfortable enough to come out publicly.
For all of the progress that's been made toward inclusion in the league in recent years — the league office as an LGBTQ+ affinity group, as well as the league sponsoring a float in the New York City Pride parade pre-COVID-19, for example — there is still an underlying tone of homophobia, and questions about how a gay player would be received in the locker room.
Nassib's announcement won't immediately change that, but he is now a trailblazer, and the overwhelmingly positive initial response to his announcement could help other LGBTQ+ individuals in the NFL follow his lead.
Source: https://theathletic.com/news/raider...ve-nfl-player-to-come-out-as-gay/V0SRVDvCyCnL
