Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib on Monday became the first active NFL player to come out as gay.
Nassib, who is entering his sixth NFL season and second with the Raiders, announced the news on Instagram, saying he wasn’t doing it for the attention but because he felt representation and visibility were important.
“I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” Nassib said in his video message from his home in West Chester, Pennsylvania. “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 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.”
Nassib added in a written message that followed the video that he “agonized over this moment for the last 15 years” and only recently decided to go public with his sexuality after receiving the support of family and friends.
Today on AirTalk, we want to hear from LGBTQ listeners about their experiences, positive or negative, playing organized sports. Join our live conversation by calling us at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Nicki Jhabvala, Washington Football Team reporter for the Washington Post; she tweets
Eric Anderson, professor of Masculinities, Sexualities and Sport at the University of Winchester, in England; he is the author of many books, including “Men and Masculinities” (Routledge, 2019)