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Raiders player Carl Nassib makes history as first active NFL pro to come out publicly as a gay man
Congratulations to Carl Nassib who made history today as the first active NFL player to come out publicly as a gay man.
He said in an Instagram video today: “I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now, but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest. I really have the best life. I’ve got 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 really not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important. I actually hope that like one day, videos like this and the whole coming out process are just not necessary. But until then I’m going to do my best and my part to cultivate a culture that’s accepting and compassionate.
He said of his teammates and coaches: “I would not have been able to do this without them. From the jump, I was greeted with the utmost respect and acceptance. I truly love my life and cannot understand why I have been blessed this much. I feel especially thankful to have had so much support when many who came before — and many even now — do not.”
Nassib is entering his sixth season in the league this fall and his second with the Raiders, who signed him to a three year, $25 million deal before last season. The 28-year-old also pledged a $100,000 donation to the Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to helping LGBTQ youth.
Proud of you, Carl ???? pic.twitter.com/R9aJxYFefW
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) June 21, 2021
Comments
(All comments are reviewed before being published, and I review submissions several times per day.)
Ed Meiller says:
I hope that gives others the courage to come out.