Raiders DE Carl Nassib becomes first active NFL player to come out as gay

Carl Nassib of the Raiders has made a groundbreaking announcement that he’s gay, becoming the first active NFL player to do so.

On Monday, Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib made a major announcement via his Instagram account.

Nassib has come out as gay, becoming the first active NFL player to do so. He additionally announced he’d be donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project, an organization working towards suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth.

Las Vegas Raiders DE Carl Nassib comes out as gay

He also announced a $100K donation to the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ youth. pic.twitter.com/5Xobd9s0pp

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 21, 2021

“Just want to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now. I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest,” Nassib said in the above video. “I really have the best life; I have the best family, friends, and job a guy could ask for. I’m a pretty private person, so I hope you guys know I’m really not doing this for attention. I just think representation and visibility are so important. I actually hope one day that videos like this and the whole coming out process are not necessary. But until then, I’m going to do my best and do my part to cultivate a culture that’s accepting and compassionate, and I’m going to start by donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project — they’re an incredible organization, they’re the No. 1 suicide prevention service for LGBTQ youth in America and they’re truly doing incredible things.”

Proud of you, Carl ? pic.twitter.com/R9aJxYFefW

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) June 21, 2021

“I truly love my life and cannot understand why I have been blessed with so much,” Nassib wrote. “I feel especially thankful to have had so much support when many who came before — and many even now — do not.”

Commissioner Roger Goodell additionally shared a statement on Nassib’s decision to publicly come out.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell weighs in on #Raiders DE Carl Nassib’s “courageous” coming out. pic.twitter.com/4k73drunql

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 21, 2021

It’s a monumental moment for the NFL, professional sports, and the entire LGBTQ community. Nassib’s significant bravery should resonate and help make noteworthy progress towards a society more accepting of homosexuality.