NFL proudly declares ‘football is gay’ after Carl Nassib’s historic coming out
The NFL proudly shares its support of LGBT+ rights by declaring “football is gay”. The ad comes a week after Las Vegas Raiders player Carl Nassib came out as gay. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
The National Football League (NFL) has come out swinging for LGBT+ rights by declaring “football is gay” just a week after Las Vegas Raiders player Carl Nassib came out.
The defensive lineman made history by becoming the first active NFL player to come out as gay.
Shortly after he came out on social media, the NFL and Nassib’s team both shared how “proud” they are of the player on their official Twitter accounts.
Now, the NFL has doubled down on its support for LGBT+ rights, declaring that “football is gay” in a short video.
The clip then asserts football is “lesbian”, “queer“, “exciting”, “transgender”, “bisexual“, “strong” and “American”, before reiterating the NFL’s support for the Trevor Project, a leading national organisation that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention help for LGBT+ youth.
If you love this game, you are welcome here. Football is for all. Football is for everyone.
The NFL stands by the LGBTQ+ community today and every day.
For more information on how you can help the @TrevorProject, visit https://t.co/YtauzLAHIF pic.twitter.com/bkdWkAZ3vF
— NFL (@NFL) June 28, 2021
“If you love this game, you are welcome here,” the NFL wrote on Twitter. “Football is for all. Football is for everyone.”
It continued: “The NFL stands by the LGBTQ+ community today and every day.”
Along with his announcement last week, Nassib donated $100,000 to The Trevor Project. The league has pledged to match that donation, according to The Independent.
The league told Outsports that the video is intended to send out the message that the NFL supports all its fans and players.
Sam Rapoport, NFL diversity director, said: “I am proud of the clear message this sport sends to the NFL’s LGBTQ+ fans: This game is unquestionably for you.
“I will be playing its first line over and over in my head all season.”
Nassib came out in a heartfelt video on Instagram Monday (21 June).
I just want to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” he said.
“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, that’s compassionate.”
