During a recent television interview,
NFL player Carl Nassib said that he decided to publicly come out gay
to help kids struggling with their sexuality.
Nassib, 29, made his announcement last
year in an Instagram post. That post included a link to The Trevor
Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention
services to LGBTQ youth. Nassib also donated $100,000 to the
non-profit. The NFL later matched his donation.
Speaking with former NFL player Michael
Strahan on Good Morning America, Nassib said that he
“agonized” over his decision to come out publicly.
“I stared at the phone for, like, an
hour just looking at it, trying to hype myself up,” he said. “The
last thing I said was, like, 'You know what – for the kids.' And I,
like, pressed post.”
Nassib also suggested that he came out
to himself in his teens, saying that there have been “some
difficult times” over the past 15 years as he considered coming out
gay publicly.
“15 years, that's how long you said
you thought about this,” Strahan said.
“Oh, for sure. It definitely was some
difficult times and really struggling with who you are and trying to
figure out that side of your life was definitely a tough part,”
Nassib said.
“I came out to my close friends and
family, like, years ago,” he said. “And I wanted to do it
publicly because I wanted to stay ahead of the narrative. I just
wanted to own the story and make sure I did it on my terms. And one
of my biggest fears was that I would only be remembered for being
gay. I just wanted to show it really doesn't matter your sexual
orientation.”
Nassib added that he hopes one day
coming out won't be necessary.
"When people come out, they're
coming out of the closet because they're afraid,” he said. “They
have fear that they're gonna have negative impact on their life, on
their relationships, on their job."
"I just hoped that one day we
don't have those fears – that's the society I hope for one day. And
I hope I can be a positive push in that direction,” he said.