Out NFL player Carl Nassib has created rainbow cleats in partnership with The Trevor Project.
In an effort to raise money and awareness for the LGBTQ+ community, the Las Vegas Raiders star has created a unique pair of rainbow cleats.
The inclusive shoes were designed in partnership with the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats fundraiser.
The annual event gives players the opportunity to raise money for their select non-profit organisation by designing a pair of cleats and auctioning them off.
The one-of-kind shoes feature The Trevor Project’s logo alongside the organisation’s hotline number for suicide prevention.
Nassib’s shoes have been praised by fans and numerous LGBTQ+ activists including Outsports.com co-founder Cyd Zeigler.
In a statement to NBC News, the longtime advocate praised the 28-year-old and his continued partnership with LGBTQ+ organisations.
“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,” Zeigler said.
“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.”
Nassib wasn’t the only NFL player to support the LGBTQ+ community.
For this year’s #MyCauseMyCleats, @Browns FB @johnnystantoniv is supporting @AthleteAlly. pic.twitter.com/uwICkJV0H8
— NFL (@NFL) December 4, 2021
Cleveland Browns fullback and LGBTQ+ ally Johnny Stanton announced that his speciality cleats would be in partnership with the Athlete Ally organisation.
The non-profit focuses on making sports communities more inclusive of LGBTQ+ athletes.
In a statement to Outsports, Stanton gave further insight into his support of the queer community and the importance of allyship.
“I wanted to back a cause that was important to me as an athlete. The fact that some people don’t feel comfortable enough in their own identity to participate in sports breaks my heart,” he said.
“No one should feel unwelcome on the field or the court. If just one person being an ally can help them feel more comfortable, then I’m happy to be that person.”
2021 has proven to be a monumental year for LGBTQ+ athletes within the sports industry.
From Nassib and Luke Prokok to Bryan Ruby and Kieran Lovegrove, players are slowly but surely stepping into their truth publicly and proudly.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics also proved to be a game-changer for queer representation, with over 180 openly LGBTQ+ athletes.
According to a report from Openly/Thomson Reuters Foundation, if Team LGBTQ+ competed in this year’s coveted games as a country they would have ranked in seventh place – in front of the Netherlands and behind Australia.
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