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The history of June being Pride Month
Every June, the LGBTQ+ community and allies celebrate what has become
WEST CHESTER, Pa. - Defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders Carl Nassib revealed he’s gay in a lengthy social media post Monday.
"I just want to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay," the 28-year-old said in a video posted on Instagram. "I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest."
Nassib wrote that he will donate $100,000 to The Trevor Project, an organization aimed at preventing suicides among LGBTQ youth. According to the organization, LGBTQ youth are five times as likely to have attempted suicide compared to heterosexual youth.
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"It brings me incredible sadness to think that our LGBTQ youth are at such an elevated risk for suicide," Nassib continued.
"The Trevor Project is grateful to Carl Nassib for living his truth and supporting LGBTQ youth," the organization said in a statement to FOX Television Stations Monday. "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."
The NFL also tweeted its support shortly after Nassib's announcement.
"The NFL family is proud of Carl for courageously sharing his truth today," Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement on Twitter.
Nassib said he didn’t reveal his sexuality for attention. Rather, he posted the message to increase representation and awareness of the LGBTQ community during Pride month.
Nassib signed with the Raiders in 2020. Previously, he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns.
Nassib is the first active NFL player to come out as gay.
In 2014, Michael Sam became the first openly gay player to be drafted in any major U.S. sport.
Sam was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round. He stepped away from football in August 2015 due to mental health reasons.
In 2012, Former NFL player Wade Davis revealed he was gay after he left the league. He said he didn’t reveal his sexuality during his football career over concerns about possible backlash from his teammates.
"You just want to be one of the guys, and you don't want to lose that sense of family," Davis said in an interview with Outsports.com. "Your biggest fear is that you'll lose that camaraderie and family."
The NFL has stepped up its efforts to support the LGBTQ community. In 2017, the league launched an employee affinity group and a corresponding website to highlight stories and issues surrounding the culture. The website features other NFL staffers who have come out as gay as well as ways readers can get involved in the community.
June is recognized as Pride Month, commemorating the June 1969 police raid targeting gay patrons at the Stonewall Inn in New York that led to an uprising of LGBTQ Americans and served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.