The LGBTQ+ neighborhood gained an ally that many believed to be unlikely given their historical past of silence on the problem: the NFL. Sporting a brand new emblem with the Delight colours embedded within the background, the league launched a video aimed toward inclusion entitled Soccer Is for Everybody.
This yr’s Delight Month noticed a world of development in soccer. Carl Nassib, defensive finish for L.A. Raiders, introduced that he’s homosexual, changing into the primary lively NFL participant to take action. Although it was no simple process, he obtained widespread help from his friends.
“I might not have been ready to do that with out ,” Nassib stated. “From the soar, I used to be greeted with the utmost respect and acceptance.”
He used the groundbreaking event to donate $100,000 to (and associate with) The Trevor Challenge, the world’s largest suicide prevention and disaster intervention group for LGBTQ+ youth. Roger Goodell and the NFL accepted Nassib’s name for others to hitch the trouble, resulting in the league’s new outreach video.
Additionally in partnership with The Trevor Challenge, the NFL’s new video sends a transparent message to the queer neighborhood that they need to at all times really feel welcome within the sport as followers and as gamers. Utilizing their platform to make it clear the place the league stands, the video states that “Soccer is homosexual” within the very first line.
“It’s crucial that we use our voice and leverage the NFL platform to drive optimistic change,” stated Tim Ellis, chief advertising officer of the NFL. “That features supporting what our gamers care about and what they stand for.”
It’s an vital milestone for the LGBTQ+ neighborhood to obtain open help from the NFL. For some, the help might really feel ironic, because the league has traditionally appeared like a house for poisonous masculinity and never a safe-space for homosexual athletes. It’s thrilling to see what’s going to occur now that doorways have been opened in skilled soccer in a manner we haven’t witnessed earlier than.
