Famous gay nfl players
27 professional athletes who identify as LGBTQ
Subscribe Newsletters
FacebookEmailXLinkedInRedditBlueskyWhatsAppCopy linkImpact Link
This story is free exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Develop an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? .
- Carl Nassib made history in 2021 by becoming the first openly gay bloke to actively compete in the NFL.
- Sheryl Swoopes and Megan Rapinoe identify as lesbians.
- Caitlyn Jenner, Patricio Manuel, Fallon Fox, and Renée Richards are transgender athletes.
In 2021, Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out as gay.
In June 2021, NFL defensive end Carl Nassib came out as gay in a video posted to his Instagram, adding he donated $100,000 to The Trevor Project, an company that focuses on suicide prevention in LGBTQ youth after he struggled with his sexuality for 15 years.
"I just want to receive a quick moment to say that I'm gay," Nassib said in the video. "I just think that voice and visibility are so important. I actually
NEWYORK,Aug 27 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Every U.S. National FootballLeague team has at least one queer or bisexual player, according to openly gay former player Ryan O’Callaghan, but they fear backlash for coming out including losing sponsorships or even their place on the roster.
Since publicly sharing his sexual orientation in 2017, O’Callaghan said he regularly hears from closeted current professional football players.
“I can promise you there’s plenty of closeted NFL players,” O’Callaghan, who played for the New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006 to 2011, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“I think it’s safe to say there’s at least one on every team who is either gay or bisexual. A lot of guys still see it as potentially having a negative impact on their career.”
O’Callaghan said the NFL has done “little things” in recent years to show back for the LGBT+ community, including sponsoring New York City’s PrideParade, but has not provided players with sufficient resources.
The former insulting tackle kept his sexual orientation secret from the time he was drafted by the Patriots in 2006 through his tenure with the Chiefs which ended i
"I'm the happiest and healthiest I've ever been in my life and that means the world to me."
Over the course of the NFL's 103-year history, only a handful of players have ever show up out as gay. In a sport where many players feel that their career could be at risk if they came out, it takes a lot of courage to authentically live their authenticity. In fact, it wasn't until 2021 that an active player actually opened up about his sexuality. But thanks to the bravery of all the players who have decided to share their story so far, there's pray that the NFL will be a more inclusive place going forward.
Find out which football stars possess come out as gay…
11 Celebs Who Dated Bachelor Nation Stars
View Story1. Carl Nassib
Carl Nassib, who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is the first active NFL player to appear out as gay. In an Instagram video joint in June 2021, Carl opened up about his sexuality and expressed his gratitude for the assist he'd been given so far from his teammates and coaches.
"I just wanted to take a fast moment to say that I'm gay," he said. "I've been meaning to do this for a while now but finall
He wonders where all the years went.
It has been 23 NFL seasons since Kopay, a running back for five teams in nine seasons, stunned the sports nature by coming out as a lgbtq+. He was the first major professional team-sport athlete to do so, but few have followed. Guard Roy Simmons, who played 58 games for the Giants and Redskins from 1979-83, came out on the Phil Donahue Exhibit in 1992, but that was it.
"I'm the token queer,'' Kopay muses. "I'm it.''
The belief that somewhere between 5 and 10 percent of the general population is homosexual suggests that 75 to 150 of the NFL's 1,500 players are closeted.
| Troy Aikman has denied persistent rumors he is gay. |
"Think about this,'' says Atlanta wide receiver Terance Mathis. "You may have three, four gay guys on your team and not even know it.''
Says Kopay, "Of course, that is what I want to believe, and yet I don't se