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class="sub-right"><span class="sub-msage">It’s Boston lol news one ncise, fun and rmative email</span><span class="sub-succs dn">Thank you! 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Rsell reflects on the NFL's relatnship wh LGBTQ+ players, 3 years after g out as R.K. Rsell reflects on the NFL's relatnship wh LGBTQ+ players, 3 years after g out as bi" class="article-share-lk" tle="Share by email"><svg class="in in-email" viewBox="0 0 128 128" width="20" aria-labelledby="tle"><tle id="tle">Email</tle><path display="le" d="M64.2,86.3l-64-48V104c0,4.4,3.6,8,8,8h112c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8V38.4L64.2,86.3z M64.2,72l64-48 c0-4.4-3.6-8-8-8H8.2c-4.4,0-8,3.6-8,8L64.2,72z"></path></svg></a></div></div></hear><sectn class="article-sectn--lead-image article-sectn--lead-image--standard"><figure class="article-fig" style="aspect-rat:1000 / 667"><picture class="article-fig-ner"><img class="article-image" src=" alt="R.K. Rsell speaks onstage durg A Night of Pri wh GLAAD and NFL on Febary 10, 2022 Los Angel, California. (Rich Polk/Getty Imag for GLAAD)"/></picture><figptn class="article-fig-ptn">R.K. Rsell speaks onstage durg A Night of Pri wh GLAAD and NFL on Febary 10, 2022 Los Angel, California. (Rich Polk/Getty Imag for GLAAD)</figptn></figure></sectn><div class="article-sectns"><sectn class="article-sectn--ntent hang-punctuatn article-sectn--first article-sectn--centered"><p class="">When Las Vegas Rairs football player Carl Nassib me out as gay last summer, he received praise for his honty and bravery. But spe supportive ial reactns, the first openly gay active player NFL history is now whout a team.</p><p class="">He’s not alone. Former NFL player <a href=">R.K. Rsell</a> also found himself teamls and stgglg to fd a new one after g out as bisexual. When he ma the announcement Augt 2019, Rsell felt exced at first but also aaid of the rponse he would receive.</p><p class="nt-medium">“There's also the fear that beg the first active person to e out, that I won't sign another team. A fear that my lleagu won't unrstand, that I'll be shunned om the NFL, a league that is known to be very mascule, a manly man sport and tough,” Rsell says. “And a lot of the tim, culture tells that LGBTQ+ people aren't those thgs.”</p><p class="">Those fears were later found when Rsell’s opportuni wh the NFL evaporated. In an op-ed for <a href=">The Guardian</a> earlier this year, Rsell wrote that more attentn should be given to how players are treated after g out stead of only focg on their announcement.</p><p class="">Instanc of homophobia stadiums, locker rooms and fandom still perlate. One example Rsell pots to is former Las Vegas Rairs ach Jon Gn, whose misogynistic, racist and homophobic emails om 2010 to 2018 were tailed by <a href=">The New York Tim 2021</a>. While some wh the NFL say Gn is an outlier, Rsell disagre.</p><p class="nt-medium">“Even if this isn't a thread throughout the NFL or throughout male profsnal sports or leagu, 's somethg that's beg tolerated. It's somethg that's beg pacified,” Rsell says. “And a lot of the tim tolerance is even worse.”</p><p class="">Back 2019, queer former NFL player <a href=">Ryan O’Callahan</a> said there was at least one player on every NFL team who is gay or bisexual. Rsell remembers beg that posn but also unrstands NFL players are privileged. Many LGBTQ+ youth may not be able to e out at the risk of vlence, he says. A recent survey om <a href=">The Trevor Project</a> revealed that nearly half of LGBTQ+ youth serly nsired suici the past year. The survey also found anxiety and prsn were strongly prevalent among queer youth.</p><p class="">For LGBTQ+ kids hopg to bee NFL players, Rsell says he would tell them they n be whatever they want, echog a lson his mother tght him at a young age.</p><p class="nt-medium">“The person that you are is only fed by you,” he says. “There are people this league and this world that are jt like you.”</p><p class="">Sce leavg the NFL, Rsell says his life has been better than any year he spent the league. While there are still moments he wish he uld play, he says he’s proud of the person he is now.</p><p class="nt-medium">“At the end of the day, I loved what I did but I didn't love myself. I loved the guys my locker room, I loved that mararie and that brotherhood, but I didn't love me,” he says. “And that blocked any happs that I uld have got om playg football.”</p><hr/><p class=""><em><a href="> Thomas Danielian</a> produced and eded this terview for broadst wh <a href=">Todd Mundt</a>. <a href=">Jeante Muhammad</a> adapted for the web.</em></p></sectn></div><sectn class="article-sectn--story-group article-sectn--centered"><p class=""><em>This segment aired on Augt 9, 2022.</em></p></sectn><sectn class="article-sectn--story-group article-sectn--centered Tags_article-sectn--tags__NOKiB"><a data-ec="Article Tags" data-el="Here & Now: Edors' Picks" data-ea="Click" class="article-tag" href="/rad/programs/hereandnow/tag/here-and-now-edors-picks">Here & Now: Edors' Picks</a></sectn></article><sectn class="article-sectn--story-group article-sectn--centered"><div class="ntributor has-photo"><div class="ntributor-profile"><figure class="ntributor-profile-em ntributor-photo"><a href="/si/staff/celte-headlee"><picture><img src=" class="lazy rd-image" alt=""/></picture></a></figure><p class="ntributor-profile-em ntributor-b"><a class="ntributor-name" href="/si/staff/celte-headlee">Celte Headlee</a> <span class="ntributor-tle">Gut Host, Here & Now</span><br/>Celte Headlee is a gut host on Here & Now, wrer, journalist and thor of "Speakg of Race: Why Everybody Needs to Talk About Racism — and How to Do It."</p><p class="ntributor-more"><a class="ntributor-lk ntributor-b-lk" href="/si/staff/celte-headlee">More…</a></p></div></div><div class="ntributor has-photo"><div class="ntributor-profile"><figure class="ntributor-profile-em ntributor-photo"><a href="/si/staff/thomas-danielian"><picture><img src=" class="lazy rd-image" alt=""/></picture></a></figure><p class="ntributor-profile-em ntributor-b"><a class="ntributor-name" href="/si/staff/thomas-danielian">Thomas Danielian</a> <span class="ntributor-tle">Associate Producer, Here & Now</span><br/>Thomas Danielian is an associate producer for Here & Now.</p><p class="ntributor-more"><a class="ntributor-lk ntributor-b-lk" href="/si/staff/thomas-danielian">More…</a></p></div></div><div class="ntributor has-photo"><div class="ntributor-profile"><figure class="ntributor-profile-em ntributor-photo"><a href="/si/staff/jeante-muhammad"><picture><img src=" class="lazy rd-image" alt=""/></picture></a></figure><p class="ntributor-profile-em ntributor-b"><a class="ntributor-name" href="/si/staff/jeante-muhammad">Jeante Muhammad</a> <span class="ntributor-tle">Freelance Associate Producer, Here & Now</span><br/>Jeante Muhammad is a eelance assistant producer for Here & Now.</p><p class="ntributor-more"><a class="ntributor-lk ntributor-b-lk" href="/si/staff/jeante-muhammad">More…</a></p></div></div></sectn><sectn class="sectn--bo sectn--bp"><div class="uw bp--rponsive"><div class="bp-ner"><p class="bp-label">Advertisement</p><div class="bp-ntent bp-ntent--centered"><div style="width:300px;height:50px"></div></div></div></div></sectn><div></div><div class="global-d-ponents onmand--is-playg"><div class="global-player"><d preload="to"></d><div class="global-player-bar"><div class="global-player-bar-left"><button class="global-player-bar-ntrol"><i class="in-play in-play--global-player-bar in-play--psed"><span class="in-play-shape"><span class="in-label" data-note="for-screen-rears">Rume</span></span></i></button><div class="global-player-label global-player-label--live"><div class="global-player-channel"><span>Listen Live</span></div><div class="global-player-tle"><a class="global-player-label-lk" href="/">Loadg...</a></div></div></div><div class="global-player-bar-right"><div class="global-player-x"><svg class="in in-close" viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-labelledby="tle"><tle id="tle">Close

gay football player rj

The Alai Uned midfielr announced that he was gay a vio posted to the team's Twter acunt Tuday.

Contents:

MEET THE 16 OUT GAY AND BI FOOTBALL PLAYERS THE NFL’S 103-YEAR HISTORY

Carl Nassib is the first to ever play a down as openly gay, but the rt are still trailblazers. * gay football player rj *

The NFL has played for more than 100 years and there have been 16 gay or bi players to e out publicly.

THREE GAY FOOTBALL PLAYERS FEATURED NFL NETWORK SEGMENT ON CARL NASSIB

‘NFL 360’ profil five LGBTQ people wh a sports background, cludg three openly gay football players, on the impact of Nassib g out. * gay football player rj *

16 and the first one to e out as gay while on an active roster.

Over the years, Outsports has known of a few other players who are gay but have never e out, even when retired.

RAIRS’ CARL NASSIB ANNOUNC HE’S GAY, AN N.F.L. FIRST

The Rairs fensive leman me out a statement posted to his Instagram acunt on Monday, beg the first active player the league to publicly intify as gay. * gay football player rj *

The NFL Network produced a documentary on Smh beg gay. Jenks is gay and this was the the first time he wily discsed his sexual orientatn. In June, Carl Nassib of the Rairs me out as gay.

10:48Download AudCopy the below to embed the WBUR d player on your seRumeWhen Las Vegas Rairs football player Carl Nassib me out as gay last summer, he received praise for his honty and bravery.

JEFF ROHRER — RETIRED DALLAS COWBOYS LEBACKER — COM OUT AS GAY, REVEALS HE'S GETTG MARRIED

Retired NFL lebacker Jeff Rohrer is gay and set to bee the first former or current NFL player a same-sex marriage when he weds Joshua Ross this weekend" emprop="scriptn * gay football player rj *

But spe supportive ial reactns, the first openly gay active player NFL history is now whout a ’s not alone. Instanc of homophobia stadiums, locker rooms and fandom still perlate. One example Rsell pots to is former Las Vegas Rairs ach Jon Gn, whose misogynistic, racist and homophobic emails om 2010 to 2018 were tailed by The New York Tim 2021.

BEFORE CARL NASSIB, MICHAEL SAM WAS THE NFL’S FIRST OPENLY GAY DRAFT PICK. HE NEVER PLAYED A REGULAR SEASON GAME.

”Back 2019, queer former NFL player Ryan O’Callahan said there was at least one player on every NFL team who is gay or bisexual. The subject was the impact of Carl Nassib g out as gay the NFL for the Las Vegas Rairs.

CARL NASSIB, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY N.F.L. PLAYER, HAS BEEN A FOOTBALL EVERYMAN

Matea offensive leman Jake Strer, who is gay, is one of five current or former LGBTQ athlet profiled. “When I returned to football my sophomore year after g out was bee I knew that if I qu football was jt the begng of thgs I would qu or hold myself back om bee I was gay, ” Strer told Outsports.

JOSH CAVALLO BE ONE OF THE FEW PROFSNAL MEN'S FOOTBALLERS TO E OUT AS GAY

“To fast forward to my last football game my senr year and have end wh ‘NFL 360’ there to clu me a story celebratg the first openly gay football player NFL history is still really unbelievable to me.

‘I HAVE BEEN FIGHTG MY SEXUALY’: A-LEAGUE MEN PLAYER JOSH CAVALLO OUT AS GAY

EST, we see scen of Strer’s last game as a Matea Mtang, terspersed wh him speakg about beg gay football and what Nassib’s g out meant to him. Their experienc are universal, ways good and bad, for many LGBTQ people — Pick talkg about the pa om the ial rejectn by her mom; O’Callaghan discsg suicidal thoughts before beg rcued by a therapist; Rapoport’s touchg rellectn of g out to NFL Commissner Roger Gooll by approachg him at a Super Bowl event holdg her girliend’s hand and Gooll’s se upon seeg ; Saffold discsg growg up Black and gay on the South Si of Chigo “where there are rampant levels of homophobia” and Strer on how he ed to worry “about how bad my life might be after I me out.

“I thk 11- or 12-year-old kids playg football prr to Carl Nassib g out didn’t thk there uld be a gay football player, ” Rapoport said.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY FOOTBALL PLAYER RJ

3 gay football players featured NFL Network segment on Carl Nassib - Outsports .

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