Carl Nassib Announces He is Gay

[Apocalypse Nuts]

I just want to go on the record to congratulate Carl Nassib for coming out when he did.  That takes real courage even today.  It takes real courage to accept and live with one's self as LGBTQ in our progressing but still-evolving society no matter who you are.  Nassib has immediately become a trail-blazer and role model for future pro athletes, especially present and future NFL players of the LGBTQ community.  And his coming out will resonate with countless LGBTQ youth who are probably struggling with who they are and who they want to be.  The impact of that is immeasurable. 

 

The fact that his coming out has been met with so much positivity from his fellow players in the league, past and present, the NFL itself, and the country as a whole speaks volumes about how far we have come as a society.  When we reach the point when it's not even necessary for LBGTQ people to "come out"  in any way at all, when it's really accepted in sports and society on that level, to that extent, then we can really be proud of how far we have progressed as a society.  I think we are very close to that but, regrettably, some parts of our society are much, much slower to advance and accept than others.  

Edited June 23, 2021 by Apocalypse Nuts

[wppete]

1 hour ago, eball said:

Jesus.  What a thread.  Although around here, what did I expect.  

I was thinking the exact same thing. 
 

 

 

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by wppete

[Simon]

6 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Your perception is based on an outdated idea of what homosexual men are that was fed by unfavourable depictions in the media. "Oh they don't like sport" or "oh they are not physically aggressive" it is just nonsense.

 

My perception is based on what I have seen with my eyes over 50+ years on this planet.

And I'm sorry if you consider this perception unfavorable (there's no "u" in that word, Tommy:-), but I don't attach any negative connotation to it.

If anything, I'd view a tendency toward less physical aggression as a positive human characteristic.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

10 hours ago, HardyBoy said:

Again, are people scared of showering with a gay guy because the gay guy will get turned on, or because they're afraid they will get turned on...33% is a really big number folks.

 

I think a certain segment of straight men always bring up the "oh noes we can't shower with them" because either:

1) In their head, women are sexual objects to guys, and the idea of them being a sexual object to a guy freaks them out.  They think they'd behave like jerks to naked women they were attracted to: stare, and say stuff, come on to them and get gropey if they could - so they project that the gay men would do likewise to them

2) They have a certain segment of personal curiousity and they're afraid of being turned on themselves

 

One of the life experiences I'm glad I had (even though I decided it's not my thing) was visiting a local naturist club with a friend.  For those unfamiliar, naturist clubs are "clothing not optional" places where people who don't like to wear clothes when going about their normal life can socialize, cook, shower, swim, play volleyball etc all while naked around other like-minded people.  It's not a "swingers club" and sexual innuendo or behavior in public is looked down upon (though I wouldn't go to bail there weren't some hookups arranged and acted upon in private)

 

So anyway, when we got there it was "woaoah there's a naked guy on that golf cart" and "oh, that woman and her daughters were naked" then after about 15-20 minutes the "not optional" part kicked in and it just became "normal" to be having a beer and chatting or playing pool volleyball with a bunch of people who happened to be naked - some very attractive, some not.  The shower house was one big open room, men and women showered together and it was no big deal. 

 

I was told it was considered a bit "embarrassing" or "bad form" to get a ***** because it meant you were focused too sexually on someone else, when the point is just to be normal about being naked and social.  I did wonder if they had any openly gay membership, but I didn't ask.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rochesterfan]

37 minutes ago, wppete said:

I was thinking the exact same thing. 
 

 

although I agree with the 🤦‍♂️ On some of this - at least it is being discussed.  Much like race - sexual orientation cannot progress without honest discussion and trying to find a common ground.  The fact that even with some total disagreement- we see many people being accepting, but having different perspectives see @Simonand @GunnerBill - at least they can have that discussion.  
 

Race has been much harder and much more ingrained, but as we as a country must have some frank, honest talks - it helps moves things along.

 

The worst thing we can do (and it is a huge part of race culture) is provide lip service without action or discussion.  It is uncomfortable to talk about - let’s basically ignore it and hope it goes away.  There are many, many more supportive people out there than people realize, but because a subject is touchy or uncomfortable or quite frankly they do not have a stake in the pot - they just sit quietly on the side and let these subjects flow by.

 

I don’t agree with some big parts that have been said, but I think it also provided some healthy conversations and I learned a bit more about my fellow TBDers and have even more respect for certain posters like @GunnerBillfor his part in the overall discussion.

 

So for me the absolute best part of Nassib coming out - especially in his quiet and understated way - was the discussion that followed and if that kind of discussion can go on here - where else can it happen that has a true impact on people’s lives.

Edited June 23, 2021 by Rochesterfan

[Hapless Bills Fan]

 

1 hour ago, eball said:

Jesus.  What a thread.  Although around here, what did I expect.  

 

I was just thinking it had gone pretty well - thanks in good part to @Simon and his magic shears

[dollars 2 donuts]

1 hour ago, nucci said:

so did I. LOUD NOISES

 

Few words, straight to the point, even with his jokes.

 

That, ladies and gentlemen, is what a consumit and consistent pro is at TSW.

 

Enjoy The Nuch while he is here, because someday he will be gone and it will be too late...

 

...I hear he might join the J'Ville Message Board.  🤣

[soflabillsfan1]

12 hours ago, K-9 said:

I know full well what I’m saying and it’s far away from what you seem to think it is. I’ll boil it down to the simplest form:

 

The comparison lies in the similarity in breaking thru a cultural barrier. Simple as that. 
 

You seem to think I’m equating the struggles of all of black America in their entirety with the struggles of the gay community in their entirety and nothing could be farther from the truth. Robinson shattered a barrier in sports. Nassib also shattered a barrier in sports. That’s all I’m saying. Acknowledging that similarity in no way lessens Robinson or elevates Nassib. 

There is no equating the struggles of black America with the struggles of gay America on a par basis. Like I said, it’s an absurd notion. 
 

If that is all word salad for you, it must be a huge challenge for you to comprehend truly complex concepts. 

 

There's no shattered cultural barrier.  It's 2021.  It's a first but not some earth shattering cultural move like you seem to be framing it.  Jackie was spit on, called a ***** by player and coaches.  He played in an era of segregation.  He played 20 years before it was legal for a black to marry a white.  Nassib will go through none of that.  All he will receive is support and admiration.  You seem to be living in a different time period.  Some people seem to have a hard time grasping progress.  They want certain groups to stay in a perpetual state of victimhood. 

[GunnerBill]

1 hour ago, Simon said:

 

My perception is based on what I have seen with my eyes over 50+ years on this planet.

And I'm sorry if you consider this perception unfavorable (there's no "u" in that word, Tommy:-), but I don't attach any negative connotation to it.

If anything, I'd view a tendency toward less physical aggression as a positive human characteristic.

 

And what you will have seen in those 50 years is lots and lots of gay men who play sport and are in the army and get into fights and everything else you presume they do less than straight men. What you won't have known is that a lot of those men were gay, because the culture in sport and in the forces and in certain other areas of life was such that there are guys who lived their whole lives in the closet. There was a point when I played semi-pro soccer when I thought that basically I'd be one of them. 

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

56 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I think a certain segment of straight men always bring up the "oh noes we can't shower with them" because either:

1) In their head, women are sexual objects to guys, and the idea of them being a sexual object to a guy freaks them out.  They think they'd behave like jerks to naked women they were attracted to: stare, and say stuff, come on to them and get gropey if they could - so they project that the gay men would do likewise to them

2) They have a certain segment of personal curiousity and they're afraid of being turned on themselves

 

One of the life experiences I'm glad I had (even though I decided it's not my thing) was visiting a local naturist club with a friend.  For those unfamiliar, naturist clubs are "clothing not optional" places where people who don't like to wear clothes when going about their normal life can socialize, cook, shower, swim, play volleyball etc all while naked around other like-minded people.  It's not a "swingers club" and sexual innuendo or behavior in public is looked down upon (though I wouldn't go to bail there weren't some hookups arranged and acted upon in private)

 

So anyway, when we got there it was "woaoah there's a naked guy on that golf cart" and "oh, that woman and her daughters were naked" then after about 15-20 minutes the "not optional" part kicked in and it just became "normal" to be having a beer and chatting or playing pool volleyball with a bunch of people who happened to be naked - some very attractive, some not.  The shower house was one big open room, men and women showered together and it was no big deal. 

 

I was told it was considered a bit "embarrassing" or "bad form" to get a ***** because it meant you were focused too sexually on someone else, when the point is just to be normal about being naked and social.  I did wonder if they had any openly gay membership, but I didn't ask.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, now we know.  After Thunderdome comes Camp Melanoma.  
 

The odd part of this for me, beyond it being something I would never want to experience (and good for you for having the confidence to experience it), is that a ***** is frowned upon but it is perfectly good form  for a guy on a golf cart to paste a trail of scrotal/butt juice on a vinyl seat for the 4some teeing off later in the day. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

18 minutes ago, soflabillsfan1 said:

Nassib will go through none of that.  All he will receive is support and admiration. 

 

I would bet you $$  that if you had a transcript of replies on Nassib's social media and a recording of everything that will be said to Nassib over the next several months you would learn that is far from true.

 

(Not intended to be expressing an opinion on the analogy to Jackie Robinson, which I agree is rather poor).

[soflabillsfan1]

4 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I would bet you $$  that if you had a transcript of replies on Nassib's social media and a recording of everything that will be said to Nassib over the next several months you would learn that is far from true.

 

(Not intended to be expressing an opinion on the analogy to Jackie Robinson, which I agree is rather poor).

 For anything negative said to Nassib, I would bet there's 50X more positive things said.  You can never get rid of every idiot, but they are an extreme minority in this situation.  Looking at his IG, i can't even find a negative comment.

Edited June 23, 2021 by soflabillsfan1

[Hapless Bills Fan]

6 minutes ago, leh-nerd skin-erd said:

Well, now we know.  After Thunderdome comes Camp Melanoma.  
 

The odd part of this for me, beyond it being something I would never want to experience (and good for you for having the confidence to experience it), is that a ***** is frowned upon but it is perfectly good form  for a guy on a golf cart to paste a trail of scrotal/butt juice on a vinyl seat for the 4some teeing off later in the day. 

 

LOL No.  They wear sunscreen and insect repellent; as one of them explained, we're nudists, not Stupid.

 

You were supposed to bring a towel; "good form" was to sit on your own personal towel, always on the same side.  As far as I could tell, this was pretty universally complied with.    There were also spray bottles of disinfectant and paper towels around, in case you didn't want to rely on "towel compliance".  And it wasn't exactly a ***** was frowned on, it was more like Guy to Guy, check if you're too focused on an attractive woman; you may be staring, making her uncomfortable.  Maybe look or think somewhere else.

 

Not confidence.  I keep my word and pay my debts.  There was a bet our swim-phobic friend won by going completely underwater in a popular public swimming hole. 

 

Significant alcohol consumption may have been involved, Heh.

 

We did find it interesting enough to return a couple times, though.

 

 

[GunnerBill]

11 minutes ago, soflabillsfan1 said:

 For anything negative said to Nassib, I would bet there's 50X more positive things said.  You can never get rid of every idiot, but they are an extreme minority in this situation.  Looking at his IG, i can't even find a negative comment.

 

It is not as severe as the sort of abuse black sportspeople got nearly 100 years ago - agreed. But Nassib will take some pretty vile abuse, I can pretty much guarantee it. Just before lockdown one of my mates who plays for London's premier gay football club finally convinced me to go down and watch one of their games. And some of the comments I heard from their opponents were, frankly, disgusting. It is still there. It is less overt and more insidious than once it was but it still exists. 

[K-9]

51 minutes ago, soflabillsfan1 said:

There's no shattered cultural barrier.  It's 2021.  It's a first but not some earth shattering cultural move like you seem to be framing it.  Jackie was spit on, called a ***** by player and coaches.  He played in an era of segregation.  He played 20 years before it was legal for a black to marry a white.  Nassib will go through none of that.  All he will receive is support and admiration.  You seem to be living in a different time period.  Some people seem to have a hard time grasping progress.  They want certain groups to stay in a perpetual state of victimhood. 

You keep insisting on making my comment bigger than it is. I think we are finished here. Have a good day. 

[Coach Tuesday]

1 minute ago, K-9 said:

You keep insisting on making my comment bigger than it is. I think we are finished here. Have a good day. 

 

I thought it was the Jackie Robinson of comments.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

49 minutes ago, soflabillsfan1 said:

 For anything negative said to Nassib, I would bet there's 50X more positive things said.  You can never get rid of every idiot, but they are an extreme minority in this situation.  Looking at his IG, i can't even find a negative comment.

 

I would respectfully suggest that Nassib (and possibly Instagram) has someone with a pruning sheers monitoring his account and "taking out the trash", as we do here.

 

I'm not sure whether it's 10x or 50x or 100x more positive than negative comments makes a huge difference.  There's the old business saying "One Awshit outweighs 10 Attaboys".  Hopefully Nassib is past this, but to a young person just struggling with their sexual identity, if they're hearing or reading 1,000 comments 10 Hate-o-Grams can have a disproportionate impact.

I mentioned upthread about a young man my kid attended school with, star Track athlete and football player, who came out in HS as gay, later went on to a D1 school, and wound up quitting football to work on his mental health.  (He had been known as a "playa", a "get any girl he wants love 'em and leave 'em crying" type).  His words might be relevant here:

 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jake-bain-gay-high-school-football-player_n_5ab12094e4b0eb3e2b30c7bd

 

(Trivia: this kid was the successor to Zeke Elliot at RB, same HS.  Good athlete, but No Zeke Elliot)

[GunnerBill]

6 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I would respectfully suggest that Nassib (and possibly Instagram) has someone with a pruning sheers monitoring his account and "taking out the trash", as we do here.

 

 

 

This your way of telling us you would leave if someone made you a better offer Hap? 

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

30 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

LOL No.  They wear sunscreen and insect repellent; as one of them explained, we're nudists, not Stupid.

 

You were supposed to bring a towel; "good form" was to sit on your own personal towel, always on the same side.  As far as I could tell, this was pretty universally complied with.    There were also spray bottles of disinfectant and paper towels around, in case you didn't want to rely on "towel compliance".  And it wasn't exactly a ***** was frowned on, it was more like Guy to Guy, check if you're too focused on an attractive woman; you may be staring, making her uncomfortable.  Maybe look or think somewhere else.

 

Not confidence.  I keep my word and pay my debts.  There was a bet our swim-phobic friend won by going completely underwater in a popular public swimming hole. 

 

Significant alcohol consumption may have been involved, Heh.

 

We did find it interesting enough to return a couple times, though.

 

 

Swimming holes at the holler. Towels between butt cheeks and seats.  Naked golf swings.  ****** talk thrown around like we’re  the French.  
 

This is like a painting where Norman Rockwell meets R Maplethorpe. 
 

And..Hapless…sunscreen liberally applied to…bug spray to a…..I just….it’s like I try…I mean I just can’t.  
 

 

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

32 minutes ago, leh-nerd skin-erd said:

And..Hapless…sunscreen liberally applied to…bug spray to a…..I just….it’s like I try…I mean I just can’t. 

 

LOLOL at "Norman Rockwell meets Maplethorpe".  I literally fell off my chair laughing. (Nah, they had golf carts, not golf course.)

 

The "apply sunscreen and bug spray to WHAT?" part is actually why I decided "this is Just Not for Me".   Clothing I can treat just seems like a simpler (and less irritating) way to keep ticks off my arsehole.