Photo via Instagram / Carl Nassib
As Pride Month 2021 comes to a close, we look back at our history and reflect on our progress. It’s been 52 years since the Stonewall Uprising, six years since marriage equality became law and seven years since Black footballer Michael Sam dashed his NFL hopes by coming out.
This year, however, perhaps the most impactful event was the coming out a of active NFL player Carl Nassib (one news outlet’s banner named him the first “actively gay NFL player” which is absurdly inaccurate).
Other college and NFL players have come out but only after their careers had ended or at a point where they were in danger of being outed, or, if known to be gay and closeted, bullied, blackmailed and their careers threatened. Among them is Wisconsin’s Brad Thorson. One, Ed Gallagher, who played for the University of Pittsburgh, attempted suicide rather than accept his sexuality.
In 1977, retired NFL player David Kopay published The David Kopay Story, an account of his closeted career. I read it as a young man. I don’t recall being inspired by it. As an account of societal and self-repression, it was a pitiful and frustrating read.
Aaron Rodgers?
And, who can forget Aaron Rodgers, formally known as a Green Bay Packer? The quarterback who fell from grace with his fans has been the stuff of “is he or isn’t he?” dish even prior to his roommate cum personal assistant seemingly outing him in 2013. As the story unfolded, even Packer linebacker Clay Matthews hinted he’d be fine with a gay teammate. Besides, it was a heady time for the LGBTQ community. In 2011 the Obama administration rescinded the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy and marriage equality was in the offing. If any time seemed primed for a gay NFL player to come out, especially one of such hometown hero stature, this seemed to be the moment. Gay Packer fans, naturally, crossed their fingers.
But he didn’t. In the aftermath of the supposed “outing., Rodgers issued a “sorry guys” denial insisting he “really, really” liked women. He then embarked on a dating spree with a high-profile fashion model and a race car driver, both quite female. One twisted the knife, boasting about their sexploits right before games. As great gay hope and expectations faded, especially during the previous regime with its animus towards the LGBTQ community, so did Rodgers’ once quite public love life. Sadly, the whole affair was a setback for professional athletes contemplating coming out.
Then, speaking of twists, earlier this year, the gridiron MVP named the quite publicly out and proudly bisexual actor Shailene Woodley as his betrothed. A case of love birds of a feather, perhaps? That would be ironically rich, wouldn’t it?
But today, a shift in America’s cultural reality has apparently taken place. It appears being out isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker. My-King Johnson and Scott Frantz are examples of out players in the NCAA. Johnson was dismissed from his team for a policy infraction. Frantz went undrafted in the 2020 NFL draft and has left the sport. One naturally wonders if being gay was a contributing factor to the end of either career.
Many are Out
To be fair, a lot of athletes are coming out these days. Most barely get more than a headline much less the gushing celebration bestowed on Carl Nassib. Like priests, librarians and the artsy professions, swimmers and divers (especially the synchronized ones), tennis players, skaters and gymnasts are often presumed to be non-heterosexual. But, NFL football, for all its homoerotic appeal, has heretofore remained sacrosanct, a bastion of violent straightness, a veritable temple of All-American (albeit toxic) masculinity.
So here we are. The wholesomely handsome, square-jawed (and registered Republican, but maybe that will change, too) Carl Nassib, now an ivory pillar of LGBTQ virtue and inspiration, has been universally congratulated and embraced.
We shouldn’t forget, however, that Michael Sam, the ebony one, was blacklisted for doing the very same thing. Yes, it’s seven years later and all, but in our current state of CRT consciousness, we might add that to the equation.
I’m certainly pleased that it’s finally possible for a gay NFL player to come out in quinceanera manner to fans’ unconditional love and support It’s yet another indication of LGBTQ progress for which we have fought so long and hard to achieve.
Of course, while we’re praising Carl Nassib for having the courage to take advantage of the path to identity created by others, like Michael Sam who took one for the team, we should also take a moment to acknowledge the bigots now wearing Nassib’s Las Vegas Raiders “94” jersey (it’s since become an NFL merch best seller) who have evolved from being hateful and ignorant to simply being the human beings they should have been in the first place.
