NFL’s Michael Sam could still be sacked for being gay under Missouri law
Despite being an unlikely potential turn of events, newly-drafted St Louis Rams defensive linesman Michael Sam could be sacked by the team under Missouri law.
Sam made history on Saturday as the first openly gay player to be drafted to the NFL, joining the Rams in the seventh draft.
He burst into tears when he heard the news, before embracing and kissing his boyfriend on live TV.
Politicians in the state have used Sam’s uptake by the Rams to push forward legislation to outlaw anti-gay discrimination which is still to be passed.
House Bill 1930, the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act went before the House in March, but has not been passed. It would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill on Sunday endorsed a Twitter message reading: “Michael Sam could still be fired for just being gay according to current Mo law. Let’s fix that in JeffCity.”
Dara Strickland, board president of the LGBT Community Center of Metropolitan St Louis said: “You can apply for a job in Missouri at least, and there’s no protection for being asked, ‘By the way, are you gay?’ and being explicitly told, ‘You know, we don’t hire gay people.’ You can be fired for being gay, lesbian or transgender,” she told KSDK.
