LAS VEGAS Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib made history on Monday after coming out as the first active openly gay player in the NFL, announcing his sexual orientation in a post on social media.
The 28-year-old five-year veteran said in a video posted on Instagram he hoped his example would boost visibility of other gay athletes.
“I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” Nassib said in the video.
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“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.”
Nassib added that he was donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project, a non-profit group which works to prevent suicide among LGBTQ youth in the United States.
Nassib is the first player on an active NFL roster to come out as gay. Several players have come out after retiring from the league, which is the most-watched sport in the United States.
In 2014, college player Michael Sam was drafted by the St. Louis Rams after coming out as gay but was released after playing in a handful of pre-season games and never played a regular season game in the league.
The Raiders meanwhile praised Nassib in a post on Twitter.
“Proud of you Carl,” the team wrote in a post accompanying Nassib’s Instagram statement.
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Raiders star comes out as NFL's first openly gay player
LAS VEGAS Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib made history on Monday after coming out as the first active openly gay player in the NFL, announcing his sexual orientation in a post on social media.
The 28-year-old five-year veteran said in a video posted on Instagram he hoped his example would boost visibility of other gay athletes.
“I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” Nassib said in the video.
“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.”
Nassib added that he was donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project, a non-profit group which works to prevent suicide among LGBTQ youth in the United States.
Nassib is the first player on an active NFL roster to come out as gay. Several players have come out after retiring from the league, which is the most-watched sport in the United States.
In 2014, college player Michael Sam was drafted by the St. Louis Rams after coming out as gay but was released after playing in a handful of pre-season games and never played a regular season game in the league.
The Raiders meanwhile praised Nassib in a post on Twitter.
“Proud of you Carl,” the team wrote in a post accompanying Nassib’s Instagram statement.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Carl Nassib Las Vegas Raiders NFL openly gay trailblazer