December 13, 2021
First Look: Carl Nassib Supports LGBTQ Community with Rainbow Cleats
Emell Adolphus READ TIME: 2 MIN.
After coming out as gay last summer, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib is showing his support for the LGBTQ community in a very football fashion.
As reported by NBC News, Nassib donned a pair of custom rainbow cleats to raise awareness and support for the LGBTQ youth suicide prevention group, the Trevor Project.
The cleat change is a part of the NFL's My Cause My Cleats fundraiser, where players can wear a custom design of their own to raise awareness for a nonprofit of their choosing. Players then auction off the cleats to raise money for the groups.
Cyd Zeigler, LGBTQ advocate and co-founder of the LGBTQ sports site Outsports.com, celebrated Nassib's support, conceding that visible support for the LGBTQ community is a rarity among NFL players.
Cleveland Browns fullback and LGBTQ ally Johnny Stanton, whose uncle is gay, also created rainbow cleats in support of Athlete Ally, which promotes LGBTQ inclusion in sports.
"I have been, for a couple of years, pointing to the fact that no NFL players ever choose LGBTQ causes and it's a real source of disappointment," said Cyd Zeigler, LGBTQ advocate and co-founder of the LGBTQ sports site Outsports.com. The cleats campaign began in 2016.
"People talk about the importance of allies and I say all the time, that we can't wait for allies to show up, that LGBTQ people have to push for our own visibility and our own equality," said Zeigler.
Nassib's cleats feature the Trevor Project's name printed in bright orange and the number to its suicide prevention lifeline: 1-866-488-7386. Nassib also previously donated $100,000 to the group when came out earlier this year.
See Nassib's custom design below.
