Nassib as a Las Vegas Raider (Photo credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports/File Photo).
In our final edition of LGBTQ+ Pride Month 2024 here at The Forkball, we will highlight Carl Nassib’s continued advocacy for young people. Nassib is a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community with a focus on youth, and he doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. The former NFL player is an inspiration to many and deserves high praise for being true to himself and encouraging so many others to do the same. Our youth desperately need role models like Nassib.
Carl Nassib Comes Out As Gay
Before we highlight Nassib’s crucial impact on the NFL, let’s make sure you’re caught up on every edition of LGBTQ+ Pride Month 2024. You can find the first three editions this month here, here, and here.
If you didn’t catch Nassib coming out as gay in 2021, look at the video above that he posted on his social media. According to his interview with Men’s Health in 2022, he was inspired to come out for a few key reasons. He was just starting to date someone, so he wanted to come out before he was outed by others. It was his story to tell, and he wanted control of that. Nassib also felt an ‘obligation’ to come out for his community and his unique role in the NFL to raise money for charities like The Trevor Project.
Nassib Is A Force For Change
Carl Nassib definitely reached his goal of raising money for The Trevor Project. He donated $100k to the amazing non-profit. Encouragingly, the NFL and the Las Vegas Raiders also matched Nassib’s donation. It’s the least the Raiders could do after John Gruden’s homophobic emails came to light. How unfortunate was it that Carl was coached by Gruden? There are 32 franchises, and it worked out that way. The world can be a cruel place at times.
Besides publicly coming out and supporting The Trevor Project, Nassib has also been a positive role model for the LGBTQ+ community in other ways. In December 2021, Carl designed rainbow cleats to raise awareness and money for the LGBTQ+ community for the My Cause My Cleats annual NFL fundraiser.
In 2022, he went public with his support for The Trevor Project via his social media again. He said in his post, “Out there right now there’s a kid saying that I’d rather be dead than be gay. And that’s why I’m partnering again with The Trevor Project, and matching all donations up to $100,000. I really hope you guys join me in supporting this awesome organization and supporting these young kids.”
Carl Nassib Continues To Speak Out
The former NFL player, who retired in 2023, is back at it, representing the LGBTQ+ community in 2024. In case you missed it, Nassib announced the Cleveland Browns second-round pick in Detroit. He was joined on the stage by Trevor Project CEO Peggy Rajski. Nassib continues to foster his relationship with the non-profit, and it warms our hearts. He has donated to the organization numerous times and has worked with them to help support LGBTQ+ youth. We love to see it, Carl Nassib! Thank you for being such an amazing role model.
