First openly gay active NFL player Carl Nassib could be a turning point for male sports

And while someone coming out in 2021 might not feel like a big deal, with that simple statement, Nassib became the first openly gay active player in NFL history.With that simple statement, Nassib became the first openly gay active player in NFL history.Queerness is the most socially acceptable it’s ever been, with American support for marriage equality and protections for the LGBTQ+ community at an all-time high. Nassib admits that “sadly,” he “agonized over this moment for the last 15 years.” For O'Callaghan, hiding his sexual orientation from his teammates took a huge toll, as he struggled with addiction, depression and suicidal ideation.Nassib’s video was followed by supportive posts from both the NFL’s and the Raiders’ official accounts, which hopefully means that men’s sports is at a turning point — though its worth noting that neither has offered to match Nassib’s $100,000 donation to The Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to suicide prevention and mental health support for LGBTQ+ youth.Though leagues have celebrated Pride Month for the last several years and many, including the NFL, have had commissions dedicated to LGBTQ+ inclusion, the fact that no players have felt comfortable coming out shows how deeply rooted these cultural issues are.