'This is a milestone,' people in Maritime gay community say after NFL player's historic video
Members of the sporting community and the LGBTQ2S+ community in the Maritimes agree that NFL player Carl Nassib's announcement is an historic first -- one they hope will open doors in sport for many others going forward.
It was a short video, but one that will leave a lasting impact.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib took to Instagram Monday and announced he is gay, making him the first active National Football League player to do so.
"I was really excited," said Kris Burley, a retired Olympic gymnast, who is originally from Truro, N.S. who spent part of his career based in Fredericton.
As a gay former athlete himself, he says it took courage for Nassib to come out like this during his playing career.
"He did it on his terms," Burley said. "He was clearly comfortable with his message. I thought he was really articulate and I really love the fact that this was obviously a choice that he made."
Peter Steele is a former chair of Pride Cape Breton.
He says while a public figure coming out is nothing new, a man playing a stereotypically 'macho' sport like pro football is.
"This is a milestone," Steele said. "That's something men can relate to. So when women come out, men are not necessarily going to relate to that. If they're an actor, a singer, they're not necessarily going to relate to that. They're going to relate to a football player."
Lou Velocci is acting president of Football Nova Scotia.
"I was glad to see that others around him are rallying around that, I think it's great," Velocci said.
He says while a lot of work has been done over the years towards inclusivity in the sport.
This should only encourage more youth that the game is for everyone.
"I think it's great that people are coming out," Velocci said. "And you know, I think you'd have a lot more people that are happy if they had the opportunity to play football. Versus worrying about whether or not they fit the 'stereotype' of whatever."
Steele says there are closeted people in all walks of life -- including pro sports -- and that he'd like to see more athletes come out.
"You don't realize until they actually tell you. So kudos to Carl for doing this," Steele said.
Burley says the support Nassib has received shows things have changed a lot since his own competitive sporting days back in the 1990s. While there's still a ways to go, LGBTQ2S+ youth in sport have gotten an important message.
"That any young kid could look up to Carl and say 'Well, I want to be a football player,' or 'I want to be a hockey player,'" Burley said. "And if you're gay, that's OK."
Nassib made his post during Pride Month, planting the seed for acceptance with a brief -- but brave -- video that has a lot of people talking.
"But until then, I'm going to do my best and do my part to cultivate a culture that's accepting," Nassib said.
It's also worth noting that there has never been an openly gay National Hockey League player, though Peter Steele predicts that after this trailblazing event in the NFL, we'll see something similar from an NHLer sometime in the not too distant future.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A man was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Here's how much more Canadian landlords are asking for now, according to a just-released report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.