Carl Nassib pledges another $100,000 to help create awareness and acceptance for LGBTQ youth – The Athletic
A year ago this week, defensive end Carl Nassib came out as gay and became the first openly gay active NFL player in the league’s nearly 102-year history. On Sunday, Nassib hopes to double down on his efforts to create awareness and acceptance.
Nassib will match all donations up to $100,000 to the Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for LGBTQ young people. Last June, Nassib pledged $100,000 to the Trevor Project, a number later matched by both the NFL and the Las Vegas Raiders. Nassib, 29, is currently a free agent after being released by the Raiders in March. He had four sacks and 13 quarterback hits in 27 games over two seasons in Las Vegas.
“Carl has inspired others to live their own truth, donate to The Trevor Project’s life-saving mission, and to accept and support the LGBTQ people in their lives,” Amit Paley, CEO & Executive Director of The Trevor Project, said. “Our research has found that over 80 percent ion youth said that celebrities who are LGBTQ positively impact how they feel about being LGBTQ.
“We need more champions like Carl who empower LGBTQ young people and help them see a bright future for themselves.”
Forty five percent of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, according to a Trevor Project survey on mental health, and donations will help provide all of its crisis services around the clock and for free.
Nassib told teammate Darren Waller, in Waller’s ‘Comeback Stories’ podcast last season, that he didn’t come out as gay to break barriers.
“I did it because I felt an obligation to the LGBTQ community to bring representation and bring visibility to a very, very popular entertainment business, to a very, very popular industry that doesn’t have a lot of representation,” Nassib said.
He said being the only openly gay player in the NFL is ‘stressful.’
“I just want to normalize things,” he said. “I really don’t think too often about going through life as a gay man. I just hope one day that won’t even have to cross your mind, because it barely crosses my mind.”
(Photo: Charles LeClaire / USA Today)