Las Vegas Raiders’ Carl Nassib comes out as NFL’s first openly gay active player – National

Carl Nassib, defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders, is the first openly gay active NFL player.

In a post on Instagram on Monday, Nassib said he has “agonized over this moment for the last 15 years.”

“Only until recently, thanks to my family and friends, especially Connor, Cason and Francis, did it seem possible for me to say publicly and proudly that i’m gay,” the post said.

Nassib, 28, thanked the NFL, his coaches and fellow players for their support.

“I would not have been able to do this without them,” he said. “From the jump, I was greeted with the utmost respect and acceptance.”

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Nassib said he does not know all the history behind “our courageous LGBTQ community,” but added that he is “eager to learn and to help continue the fight for equality and acceptance.”

In a video, Nassib said representation and visibility is “so important,” and added that he has donated $100,000 to the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ2 youth.