Professional football has long maintained a culture of homophobia that discourages gay and bisexual players from ever considering coming out. A new video produced by the National Football League (NFL) and released on Sunday for National Coming Out Day aims to change that.
The ad, which was aired during FOX sports broadcasts, features retired and bisexual players (Ryan O’Callaghan, Jeff Rohrer, RK Russell, Wade Davis) and current straight stars speaking directly to closeted ones.
Anthony Harris, Anthony Barr, Dalton Risner, Calais Campbell, Jarvis Landry, Marlon Humphrey, Rob Gronkowski and DeAndre Hopkins all appear in the spot offering messages of support.
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“Today, on National Coming Out Day, we come together with one clear message. To all current players who are thinking of coming out, when you are ready, so are we,” the video says.
Several of the players then say things like “I support you” or “I got you” into the camera.
“It takes all of us and you deserve to be all of you,” the ad concludes.
There has never been anyone who has been publicly out as gay or bisexual while playing in the NFL, though several have come out after they retired.
Watch the ad below:
Catholicslutbox
“When you are ready.” i.e. when your sponsorships dry up.
Guess it’s still better than nothing. 😉
MrMichaelJ
Give me a flying flipping break. The NFL did send a message via Michael Sam.
bammer47
As the founding board chairman of Athlete Ally, I’mm glad to see the NFL finally exhibit some support for LGBTQ inclusion, even if it’s 45 years too late.
Dave Kopay, a retired NFL running back and the first prominent athlete to ever come out, was never able to secure a college or pro coaching job after he publicly disclosed he was gay. Unacceptably, he was not included in this video clip. He’s a friend and mentor of mine who was saddened to have the NFL still penalize him for his pioneering step in 1975.
Donston
I can’t shame athletes for not being publicly out during their playing years. You may not want an extreme degree of attention on you or to be seen as a “gay mascot”. You of course are gonna have to deal with higher degree of overt homophobia than many others have to endure. You may have a super religious family or a homophobic or anti-gay family. You may be contending with internalized homophobia or fluidity or mental health struggles or not understanding what you want and where you fit in the romantic, sexual, affection, emotional investment, commitment spectrum. So, I’m not gonna shame anyone. It is however very disappointing that in 2020 and in all these top level professional sports we still don’t have a few dudes who are unabashedly “queer”.
The PSA is cute. But these ex players really need to focus on confronting the culture of toxic masculinity/hetero superiority/homo inferiority, gay shame, job/money security, mental illness and the fragility of the male ego. That’s what makes it so difficult for guys to be themselves.
boymikefl
The neanderthal hetero & downlow fans will never change. “What’s that, a lith-p?”
WSnyder
That’s Nice. Do we seriously buy this? Not me. Not Yet. The NFL has a serious credibility problem, after years of how they treated Michael S. and also Colin K [and others]. Does anyone think all the owners and teams on onboard with this? That THIS signals a change with NFL owners who to this day continue to donate and support some of the most anti-LGBTQ groups and politicians in the country?
When we see owners: 1) Stop sending money and donations to hate groups and anti-LGBTQ politicians, 2) APOLOGIZE to the LGBTQ+ Community for doing so, 3) make SIZEABLE donations to Pro-LGBTQ+ Groups, 4) sponsor LGBTQ Youth Sport Organizations, 5) establish strict Rules on fan behavior [i.e. Ejections, Forfeiture of Season Ticker/Box Holders] 6) and the NFL establish Rules that severely Penalize Teams and individual players for On and Off field homophobic behavior [including monetary & suspensions if Off Field and in-game penalties like automatic first downs and/or 20 yard penalties against the team with the offending player]. Show us THAT and we might start to believe the NFL.
Until then, it’s just PR and means little to nothing.
Thad
The NHL does this issue better.
Kangol2
Where are the actual players who later came out, like Dave Kopay, Roy Simmons, Kwame Harris, and of course, pioneer Michael Sam? Where’s Kerry Rhodes, who not a single team would touch after he was outed by his personal assistant, despite Rhodes’ obvious skills and talents? This is the typical corporate “woke” performative theater, and the NFL is notorious for it. (And yes, their complete debacle of behavior towards Colin Kaepernick just underscores how full of it that league is.)
As WSnyder says, when the owners prove that they’re willing to provide real support and acceptance for out gay, bi and trans athletes, coaches and staff, which includes not asking homophobic questions of young athletes at combines and tryouts, when they show that they are not going to support anti-LGBTQ politicians, and when they’re truly embrace all LGBTQ people, from youth athletes to elderly fans, as well as out NFL vets and other out LGBTQ athletes, I’ll believe that videos like this mean a bit more than an easy but ultimately meaningless gesture.
Donston
I wouldn’t expect the NFL in particular to do anything but the most lip-service-y bare minimum. By their low and hypocritical standards, that basic PSA was a lot.