Nassib plans to donate $100,000 to the Trevor Project
The NFL is one of the most physical testosterone filled sports in America where players are extremely reluctant to identify as being gay. In its 100 years of existence, there has only been 15 players that have come out as being gay, but did so only after they have retired from the league.
In 2014, the Seattle Seahawks drafted Michael Sam in the seventh round who shocked the world with an emotional embrace and kiss from his partner live on tv. Unfortunately for Sam, the public backlash for a moment of happiness derailed his career before it even began. Sam had to deal with bigotry and streams of hate messages which became a distraction for him, his team and the league. Sadly for Sam, he never got the chance to have a meaningful career in the NFL as the first openly gay football player.
Fast-forward seven years later, Vegas Raiders Carl Nassib a five year veteran took to Instagram to announce that he is an openly proud gay NFL player. This announcement makes Nassib the first player in NFL history to play on an active roster from the LGBT2Q community.
“I just think that representation & visibility are so important. I actually hope that, one day, videos like this & the whole coming out process are just not necessary.” Said Carl Nassib. The NFL player also donated $100K to the Trevor Project, The world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth.
Out of all the professional sports leagues around the world, the NFL has been seen to be several steps behind in bringing awareness for social and political issues in comparison to leagues like the NBA and WNBA. Although the league has put forth an effort to be as inclusive as possible, it will forever have a black eye in the the way the handled Colin Kaepernick’s peaceful protest by taking a knee.
Until the social, economic and political stigma is shattered for pro athletes to be fully accepted for being members of the LGBT2Q community, today is a win for the pride and equality worthy of a End Zone celebration.
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