Taking the field
"I just want to take a quick moment to say that I'm gay." Carl Nassib made history when he made this announcement in a brief, straightforward video on Instagram in June 2021. No other active NFL player has come out as gay, although former players have done so, beginning with Dave Kopay, who came out in the 1970s. Watch this video by NBC News to hear more about how and why Nassib came out, and what the reaction to his announcement has been like so far.
References:
Harris, Mary. (2021, June 28). What It Would Take for More NFL Players to Come Out of the Closet. https://slate.com/culture/2021/06/carl-nassib-nfl-first-openly-gay-active-player-dave-kopay-colin-ka...
NBC News. (2021, June 22). NFL Raiders Defensive End Carl Nassib Comes Out as Gay, Makes History [Video]. YouTube.
Dee
Who is Dee?
Gender Identity
Our core sense of who we are as a man, a woman, a mixture of both, or neither.
Gender Expression
How we show up in the world through choices like clothing, hair style, mannerisms or tone of voice.
Attraction
How we feel toward others sexually, romantically and/or emotionally.
Biological Sex
Physical attributes such as reproductive organs and genitalia, chromosomes, genes and hormone levels.
Explore More
Check out this interview with LZ Granderson, ESPN Radio host and columnist for the Los Angeles Times, to learn more about the significance of Carl Nassib's announcement and what it could mean for the culture of the NFL.