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Carl Nassib on Monday became the first player in the history of the NFL, the professional American football league, to make, in a video posted to Instagram, his coming out while still in activity.
The player of the Las Vegas Raiders, Carl Nassib, marked the history of American football by becoming, Monday, June 21, the first player of the NFL to reveal his homosexuality, in full month of the pride in the United States.
“I just wanted to take a moment to say I’m gay,” he said in a video shot from a sunny garden and posted on Instagram.
“It’s been a while since I thought about doing this but I finally feel comfortable enough to take the weight off my shoulders,” he explains, smiling at times, very serious to others.
The 28-year-old defensive end is the first active player on a professional American Football League team to come out. Several players made their own after retiring from the sport, the most watched in the United States.
In 2014, a university championship player, Michael Sam, was selected by the Saint Louis Rams after revealing his homosexuality. But he had been released from his contract after playing a few preseason games and never appeared in regular season games in the NFL.
Carl Nassib has already played five NFL seasons and joined the Raiders after passing through two other teams, the Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Buccaneers. His contract in Las Vegas runs until 2022.
Donation of 100 000 dollars for The Trevor Project
The young man said he hoped his example would make other gay athletes more visible.
“I’m a rather private person so I hope you understand that I’m not doing this to attract attention. I just believe that representation and visibility (of the LGBTQ community) is so important,” he confided.
“Besides, I hope that one day videos like this and the whole coming out process are no longer necessary, but until then I will do my best to develop a culture of tolerance and compassion. “, he added.
In his video, Carl Nassib also announces donating $ 100,000 to The Trevor Project, an NGO for suicide prevention among young people from the LGBTQ community in the United States.
Monday, the Raiders welcomed the approach of Carl Nassib, saying they are “proud” of their player on the same social network.
League boss Roger Goodell imitated them in a statement: “The NFL family are proud of Carl, who bravely shared his truth today.”
“Well done,” also said Wade Davis II, who is one of the handful of former NFL players who have revealed their homosexuality after retirement.
“A strong message to so many LGBTQ people, especially young people”
The Las Vegas defensive player comes out during “Pride Month”, which celebrates the rights of homosexual, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) people every June in the United States.
Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), highlighted the “profound impact on the acceptance of LGBTQ in sport” resulting from the announcement. “(Nassib) sends a strong message to so many LGBTQ people, especially young people, that they too can someday grow up to be and succeed as a professional athlete like him,” she tweeted.
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Nassib’s speech contrasts with the country’s political climate, as many Republican American states have adopted measures limiting the rights of transgender people.
In a written message accompanying his video, he confided in the “torments” endured “during the last 15 years”, until he manages to muster the courage to come out, thanks to the support of his relatives.
“I really have the best life, the best family, the best friends and the best job a guy could dream of,” said the player. “Go Raiders.”
With AFP