The Las Vegas Raiders' defensive lineman will donate $100k to the Trevor Project.
In a June 21 Instagram post, Las Vegas Raiders' defensive lineman Carl Nassib came out as gay. "I've been meaning to do this for a while now," he said from his Pennsylvania backyard, "but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest."
He went on to say, "I just think representation and visiblity are so important. I actually hope that like one day videos like this and the whole coming out process are just not necessary, but until then, you know, I'm going to do my best and do my part to cultivate a culture that's accepting, that's compassionate." You can watch the video below.
He added that to "do (his) part," he's going to "start by donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project," the leading suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ youth.
On a later slide in the post, he wrote, "Young LGBTQ kids are over 5x more likely than their straight friends to consider suicide. For someone like me, who has been so lucky and cherishes every day, it brings me incredible sadness to think that our LGBTQ youth are at such an elevated risk for suicide. I feel an immense responsibility to help in any way I can - and you can too. Studies have shown that all it takes is one accepting adult to decrease the risk of an LGBTQ kid attempting suicide by 40%. Whether you're a friend, a parent, a coach, or a teammate - you can be that person."
After Nassib's announcement, the NFL posted on Instagram that they are "supporting...Carl Nassib by matching his donation with a $100,000 contribution to the Trevor Project." People reported that Nassib "celebrated the donation, writing on his Instagram Story, 'This is incredible. Thank you to everyone who has been donating to @trevorproject. Y'all are saving lives.'"
While other NFL players have come out, he is the first to be currently active in the NFL. "From the jump," he wrote of his family, friends, teammates, and the NFL, "I was greeted with the utmost respect and acceptance...Happy Pride Month," he signed off, "and Go Raiders."
We're so impressed by Nassib's courage and generosity! Leave your support in the comments.
