Packers gay
Ex-Packers lineman and Gay advocate Esera Tuaolo relieved and confident to see first openly gay active NFL player
Esera Tuaolo finally has an answer to the biggest question he's been asked over the past two decades.
"Twenty years of speaking and going out there and educating people on homophobia in sports and the LGBTQ community, the enormous question has been, 'When will the first active NFL player come out?' " the former Green Bay Packers lineman said. "I can answer that now. June 21."
That's when Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib told the world that he was gay, a revelation that will make him the first openly same-sex attracted active player in the NFL when he suits up in 2021.
More: 'He's one of us': NFL players divide support for Carl Nassib, want locker room to be welcoming to all
Tuaolo started all 16 games in 1991 for the Packers after he was drafted in the second round out of Oregon Express, and he also played for Verdant Bay in 1992 before playing for four other teams through the 1999 season. He revealed he was gay in 2002 in an interview with HBO's Real Sports, making him the third former NFL player to approach out.
"It's been a long journey for a lot
Vince Lombardi remembered as an LGBTQ+ ally during Pride Month
June is a month to recognize the champions of the LGBTQ+ community, but also the allies that play a critical role in progressing the territory toward equality.
It's Lgbtq+ fest Month and with that comes rainbow flags in a lot of places, reminders from our corporate employers, and social media posts from our favorite sports teams.
The Emerald Bay Packers commended Pride Month on Tuesday by posting a graphic to X that reads, "Football is for everyone." As of Tuesday, 23 NFL teams have posted a message identifying Pride Month.
Sports manage to be at the forefront of American society and it's common that issues within the culture become all the more prevalent on the biggest stages. History shows that the clash for civil rights and sports cross often.
Recently, the land saw social justice take center stage during the summer of 2020 obeying the murder of George Floyd as young Black people, including professional athletes, and allies, took to the streets, sat out of games or national anthem renditions, supporting the belief that "Black Lives Matter."
More than 60 years ago, it was Bill Russell, Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, K
Acme Packing Company’s sister site Outsports, which covers LGBTQ athletes, fans and allies, released Outsports Control 100 in honor of Lgbtq+ fest Month. Outsports Power 100 was designed to acknowledge the most influential LGBTQ people in sports.
Ranked 63rd on the list is Esera Tuaolo, an out former defensive lineman who played for the Green Bay Packers in 1991 and 1992. Here’s what Outsports had to say about Tuaolo:
Esera Tuaolo played 10 seasons in the NFL, appearing in the Super Bowl with the Atlanta Falcons, before publicly coming out as gay in 2002, making him one of the most accomplished out gay football players ever. He’s stayed end to the game since retirement, hosting an annual Super Bowl party and speaking to rookies about LGBTQ inclusion. But for all of Tuaolo’s talents — he’s also a singer and performer — his candor stands out the most. “It took me a while to achieve I played in the NFL. How many athletes or football players get to do that?” he said this year. “I played nine years, and the average is three. I wasn’t a bench-warmer. I played. I can now look at myself in the mirror and state, ‘Hey, I was a great player.’ But it took a while, man.” — Alex Reimer
Tuao
Aaron Rodgers reveals why he answered question about sexuality from Packers reporter
Aaron Rodgers has explained why he gave an interview on a Milwaukee radio station in 2013 in which he declared he was not gay.
Years before he had a weekly spot on “The Pat McAfee Show”, Rodgers used to do a “Tuesdays With Aaron” segment with Jason Wilde on ESPN Milwaukee in which the former Packers quarterback was often candid and unguarded.
As Rodgers himself alluded to in a notice with Wilde more than a decade ago, rumors had percolated early in his career that he might be gay.
In the new book by former Post columnist Ian O’Connor, “Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers“, the quarterback shed some light on why he brought up these rumors himself and denied them.
In the radio spot, Rodgers was talking about the downsides of being a celebrity and the “crazy rumors that swirl around from second to time that acquire silly.”
Wilde, playing coy, said, “I have no thought what you could be referring to.”
But then, after a pause, he asked: “Oh, you indicate the Aaron Rodgers–is-gay story?”
After a quick laugh, Rodgers confirmed that this was what he