How many gay people are in the nfl

Examining Media Framing of Openly gay NFL Player Carl Nassib

Authors: Edward M. Kian, Ph.D.
School of Media & Strategic Communications, Oklahoma State University, OK, USA

Corresponding Author:
Edward M. Kian, Ph.D.
School of Media & Strategic Communications
Oklahoma Declare University
201 Paul Miller Building
Stillwater, OK 74078
[email protected]
407-927-5403

Dr. Edward (Ted) M. Kian, Ph.D. is a full professor of Sports Media in the College of Media & Strategic Communications at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Kian’s study focuses on sport media, specifically examining portrayals of gender and LGBT in content, new media, attitudes and experiences of sport media members, and sport marketing.

Examining Media Framing of Openly homosexual NFL Player Carl Nassib

ABSTRACT

This researched examined mainstream media framing of Carl Nassib becoming the first active, established NFL player to arrive out as same-sex attracted. Purpose: Media hold historically framed the NFL as a rugged, masculine sport, but media hold also been supportive of the not many former professional athletes who came out as gay or bisexual. This examine examined how media framed an active gay athlete in what is construe

"I'm the happiest and healthiest I've ever been in my animation and that means the earth to me."

Over the course of the NFL's 103-year history, only a handful of players contain ever come out as male lover. In a sport where many players feel that their career could be at risk if they came out, it takes a lot of courage to authentically live their truth. In fact, it wasn't until 2021 that an active player actually opened up about his sexuality. But thanks to the bravery of all the players who have decided to share their story so far, there's dream that the NFL will be a more inclusive place going forward.

Find out which football stars have come out as gay…

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1. Carl Nassib

Carl Nassib, who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is the first active NFL player to come out as gay. In an Instagram video shared in June 2021, Carl opened up about his sexuality and expressed his gratitude for the support he'd been given so far from his teammates and coaches.

"I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I'm gay," he said. "I've been meaning to do this for a while now but finall

Dave Kopay was the first professional team sport athlete to declare his homosexuality. Since that moment in 1975, three years after his retirement from a nine-year career as an NFL running support, few have followed in his wake.

Kopay played for five teams during his career -- San Francisco, Detroit, Washington, New Orleans and Lush Bay. He later tried to get into coaching, but the NFL and colleges expressed no interest after his homosexuality was made public.

Kopay now runs his family's linoleum business in Southern California. As part of the Outside the Lines series on gays and homophobia in sports, Kopay chatted about his trial and those of other gay athletes.

Below is an edited transcript of that chat:

Chris: It has been no covert that a lot of athletes have a history of being womanizers. Did you see a lot of that happening and did fellow football players wonder why you weren't interested in partaking in their fun?

Dave Kopay:

As for being a womanizer, at a immature age you're full of excitement and energy. And I did date women at the time. A lot of guys were married and they'd proceed home to their wives. So the fact that I didn't date a whole lo

LOS ANGELES -- David Kopay peers out the window of his ninth-floor apartment in West Hollywood and studies the remarkable view: the tumbling Hollywood Hills, down to the Christmas-treed uppermost of Tower Records, out to the Los Angeles skyline and the Pacific Ocean beyond.

He wonders where all the years went.

It has been 23 NFL seasons since Kopay, a running back for five teams in nine seasons, stunned the sports society by coming out as a gay. He was the first major professional team-sport athlete to do so, but few have followed. Guard Roy Simmons, who played 58 games for the Giants and Redskins from 1979-83, came out on the Phil Donahue Demonstrate in 1992, but that was it.

"I'm the token queer,'' Kopay muses. "I'm it.''

The belief that somewhere between 5 and 10 percent of the general population is homosexual suggests that 75 to 150 of the NFL's 1,500 players are closeted.


Troy Aikman has denied persistent rumors he is gay.

"Think about this,'' says Atlanta wide receiver Terance Mathis. "You may have three, four gay guys on your team and not even know it.''

Says Kopay, "Of course, that is what I want to believe, and yet I don't se