From The Current Events File

June 21, 2021 9:56 PM

June 21, 2021 -- Carl Nassib Is The First Active NFL Player To Come Out As Gay [NPR] Page includes embedded Instagram video which is playable in-window, and has arrows that point to text. Congrats Carl! Thank you, and nothing but the best on this new chapter of your journey!

Direct Link to Nassib's Instagram Post.

posted by hippybear (19 comments total)

I think they [Sportscenter] mean “first openly gay active player” but “actively gay” is very funny ngl
posted by DoctorFedora at 10:04 PM on June 21, 2021 [12 favorites]

Props.

Wish I could donate 100K to the Trevor Project.

Hope he has a long career. Longer than Michael Sam anyway...
posted by Windopaene at 10:39 PM on June 21, 2021 [5 favorites]

“Just win, baby!”
- Al Davis
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 6:27 AM on June 22, 2021

Thank you, Carl.
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:37 AM on June 22, 2021 [1 favorite]

Interesting downthread detail in that Twitter link- SC’s weird “actively gay” phrasing is probably a garbled attempt to acknowledge Michael Sam, who came out in college, was drafted, but retired before his first season for “mental health reasons.” This makes Carl not the first openly gay player (also many retired players have come out), but the first openly gay player on an active roster.
I’m still counting down until the NFL disappears into a hole, but if this normalizes queerness for some “unreachable” people it’s a fine way to wait in the meantime.
posted by q*ben at 7:02 AM on June 22, 2021 [4 favorites]

This is great, and very brave. Representation is so important. LGBT+ people come in all flavors and from all walks of life, and the more they can see people who are "just like me" that are out and confident, the better.
posted by xedrik at 7:36 AM on June 22, 2021 [4 favorites]

Nassib played for my team, the Browns, and a scene of him from Hard Knocks explaining to the rookies how to invest their money went viral a few years ago.

The video of Michael Sam being drafted, and his reaction, is really overwhelmingly emotional. I am sorry it didn’t work out for him.

Proud of them.
posted by girlmightlive at 7:58 AM on June 22, 2021 [7 favorites]

That scene from Hard Knocks is iconic. I'm so happy he came out.
posted by zug at 8:00 AM on June 22, 2021

Apropos of that scene from Hard Knocks, Josh Barro on twitter: "I am also pleased to see that when he went on CNBC to talk about investing he told people to buy and hold index funds. I wouldn't want the first out active NFL player to be telling people to buy Bitcoin."
posted by dismas at 8:24 AM on June 22, 2021 [11 favorites]

Cool! And so is Dave Kopay.
posted by Ideefixe at 9:49 AM on June 22, 2021

Good for him -- glad it was a player I'd heard of, one with a seemingly secure spot in the league. I wonder if sales of his jersey will jump...
posted by AJaffe at 10:08 AM on June 22, 2021

Never woulda happened in Oakland 😂
posted by sixswitch at 10:58 AM on June 22, 2021

(Uh. Don’t wanna abuse the edit window but I retract that comment. Was trying to reference Vegas as a very queer-friendly city rather than make any kind of point about Oakland in particular.)
posted by sixswitch at 11:00 AM on June 22, 2021 [1 favorite]

Wish I could donate 100K to the Trevor Project.

We donated $94 in honor of his jersey number.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:11 AM on June 22, 2021 [5 favorites]

That scene from Hard Knocks. Sound and sweary financial advice.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:14 AM on June 22, 2021 [3 favorites]

Good for him. I hate to say this, but I am glad he is a defensive player. I could see an out offensive player being targeted by homophobic opponents
posted by CostcoCultist at 11:27 AM on June 22, 2021

My own question answered: Nassib's jersey is today's top seller!
posted by AJaffe at 2:48 PM on June 22, 2021

(Uh. Don’t wanna abuse the edit window but I retract that comment. Was trying to reference Vegas as a very queer-friendly city rather than make any kind of point about Oakland in particular.)

Um. Oakland is very queer-friendly. There's absolutely no reason this wouldn't happen in Oakland:

An analysis by the Urban Institute of U.S. Census 2000 numbers showed Oakland had the third-highest concentration of gays and lesbians among the 50 largest U.S. cities, behind San Francisco and Seattle. Census data showed that among incorporated places that have at least 500 female couples, Oakland had the nation's largest proportion. In the 2000 census, 2,650 lesbian couples identified as such in Oakland; one in every 41 Oakland couples identified as a same-sex female partnership.
posted by oneirodynia at 3:00 PM on June 22, 2021 [1 favorite]

Woof, that certainly was sweary financial advice. He’s an adorable, sweet dork in that clip, but I still had a brief twinge listening to him describe meeting Taylor Swift to his teammates. I’m happy he’s comfortable sharing his truth with the world now. Plus, he recorded his announcement in my town, so yay for West Chester!
posted by gladly at 6:40 PM on June 22, 2021