NFL Players Ready to Welcome Gay Teammates

What comes to mind when you think of American pro football? Probably not “gay-friendly.” But the homophobic attitudes so prevalent in the NFL and its hyper-masculine fan culture might be evolving. At the NFLPA Rookie Premiere event in Los Angeles last week, several current and former NFL stars said they’d be happy to welcome a gay teammate.

“As long as they competed on the field and gave it their all in practice, that’s all I care about,” Indianapolis Colts rookie Coby Fleener told Outsports. “I’m very comfortable with it.”

Trent Richardson, who plays for the Cleveland Browns, echoed Fleener’s sentiment. “As long as they’re playing good football and contributing to the team, I don’t have nothing to do with that … It is what it is. I don’t have any problem with any sexuality or whatever they’ve got going on.”

“You can’t discriminate,” said Buffalo Bills wide receiver T.J. Graham. “It’s just like black, white, same thing. You wouldn’t discriminate against my race, just like I wouldn’t discriminate against your sexuality.”

A few retired players also weighed in on the subject and expressed their support for LGBT athletes.

“I played in the NFL for 11 years,” said Jevon Kearse. “I’m sure there were at least one or two guys along the line that were gay.”

Most LGBT players are afraid to come out because of the “the scrutiny he might face from the locker room,” said former Green Bay Packer Ahman Green, who has a gay brother and a lesbian sister. “In our sport, to be honest, I think it would be hard for any guy to come out while he’s playing. The gay community is just like everybody else, but they’re treated differently. It’s a double standard.”

Added Green, “People are born that way. You can’t control it … But a lot of people don’t think my way. I wish they did, because then there wouldn’t be guys who wanted to stay hidden.”

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Photo credit: Ron Almog (Creative Commons)

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Kayleigh H.

7:31PM PDT on May 6, 2013

This is encouraging news. Let's hope other players follow suit.

May 6
send a green star

Louis O.

4:56AM PDT on Apr 16, 2013

You can’t discriminate is RIGHT!
And anyway aren't they all working for the same reason to win the ball>game?

That locker room thing is just a big fantasty straight people have against gays:-) Straight guys think gay men just live for looking at them? couldn't be more wrong:-)
That's there hang up not ours!

April 16
send a green star

Robynne W.

9:30AM PDT on Apr 15, 2013

@.. no photo.
I'm not surprised you have no name and no photo. Most people like to hide behind their monitor to spew their hatred. I see you fit the profile.

April 15
send a green star

Natasha S.

11:52AM PDT on Apr 14, 2013

It would be great if this happened...until then i'll keep my fingers crossed!!!

April 14
send a green star

Ã–mer K.

9:11AM PDT on Jun 10, 2012

Nice.

June 10
send a green star

1:45PM PDT on May 28, 2012

Why now and not before? Were these jocks scared they would be shown up by what they call fags? I'm 57, straight and what i have seen over my many years is the jocks ALL turn into losers and gays continue to have a very productive happy life. But you know when these jocks get together they talk about the gays behind their backs and the only reason for that is the gays have accomplished so much in such a short time these jocks can't stand it. If you ask me i honestly think these jocks take turns sucking each other off to see who is the better cock sucker because they are only good for one thing and yes, you got it. I'm not really sure if there even good at that.