The NFL on Tuesday announced that it is matching Las Vegas Raiders player Carl Nassib’s $100,000 donation to an LGBT organization, a day after the defensive lineman made history by becoming the first active league player to come out as gay.
“The NFL is supporting Raiders DE Carl Nassib by matching his donation with a $100,000 contribution to the Trevor Project, the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth,” the league said in a Tuesday statement.
The NFL said in the statement shared on social media that it is committed to “year-long efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion,” adding that “we proudly support the LGBTQ+ community.”
Nassib in a Monday video from his home in Pennsylvania told fans that “I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now, but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest.”
“I just think that representation and visibility are so important. I actually hope that one day videos like this and the whole coming-out process are just not necessary. But until then, I’m going to do my best and do my part to cultivate a culture that’s accepting, that’s compassionate,” he said, adding that he was donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project.
Several other NFL players have come out after retiring. Michael Sam in 2014 became the first publicly gay player to be drafted in the NFL, but he was released from the St. Louis Rams before the beginning of the league’s regular season.
The Trevor Project on Tuesday thanked Nassib “for creating a wave of support for LGBTQ youth by living your truth and supporting our life-saving work.”
“We’re grateful to the @NFL for sharing our research and matching Carl’s generous donation to support our vital crisis resources for LGBTQ youth,” the organization tweeted.