Las Vegas Raiders Carl Nassib Comes Out As Gay

Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman Carl Nassib came out in an Instagram post on Monday, making him the first active NFL player in the league’s history to publicly identify as gay.

“What’s up people,” Nassib says at the start of the video. “I’m at my house in West Chester, Pennsylvania. 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 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 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 getting it off my chest.”

Raiders DL Carl Nassib shared this video to social media and became the first active NFL player to announce he is gay. pic.twitter.com/gGXbZEP3R7

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 21, 2021

Nassib, 28, is a five-year NFL veteran entering his second season with the Raiders. He previously played with the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

As the Instagram video progressed, Nassib added that he was a private person and was not seeking publicity.

“I just think that representation and visibility are so important,” he said. “I actually hope that 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 do my part to cultivate a culture that’s accepting, that’s compassionate.”

Nassib also thanked his coaches, teammates and the NFL for their support.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell lauded Nassib’s announcement and stated he was “proud of Carl for courageously sharing his truth.”

“Representation matters,” Goodell says. “We share his hope that someday soon statements like his will no longer be newsworthy as we march toward full equality for the LGBTQ+ community. We wish Carl the best of luck this coming season.”

The Raiders showed their support by writing “proud of you, Carl” in a post to the team’s Twitter account that also included Nassib’s original statement.

Nassib’s announcement, made during Pride Month, is a significant turning point for the NFL. Out of the league’s 101-year history, there has never been an active player to identify as LGBTQ.

“Sports are, in many ways, one of the last bastions of a place where homophobia can thrive, saysCathy Renna, a spokeswoman for the National LGBTQ Task Force. “So, to have a professional athlete of that caliber, particularly in one of the major sports leagues like the NFL, it really is historic.”

In addition to coming out, Nassib also said he was donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth. He said it saddened him that LGBTQ you are at an elevated risk for suicide.

.@Raiders DE Carl Nassib announced today that he’s gay. He also shared he's donating $100,000 to the @TrevorProject, a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ youth.

The NFL family is proud of you, Carl. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/HXbcBuLg2X

— NFL (@NFL) June 21, 2021

Amit Paley, CEO and executive director of The Trevor Project, said the donation will help scale up crisis services.

“The Trevor Project is grateful to Carl Nassib for living his truth and supporting LGBTQ youth,” Paley says in a statement. “Coming out is an intensely personal decision, and it can be an incredibly scary and difficult one to make. We hope that Carl’s historic representation in the NFL will inspire young LGBTQ athletes across the country to live their truth and pursue their dreams. At a time when state lawmakers are actively trying to restrict transgender and nonbinary youth’s participation in school sports, this news should serve as a clarion call for greater LGBTQ inclusion in the locker room and on the field.”

Photos Courtesy of Social Media