(Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden praised the courage of the Las Vegas Raiders‘ Carl Nassib for becoming the National Football League’s (NFL) first openly gay active player and Japan women’s soccer forward Kumi Yokoyama for coming out as a transgender man.
“To Carl Nassib and Kumi Yokoyama – two prominent, inspiring athletes who came out this week: I’m so proud of your courage,” Biden tweeted https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1407506870181453824 on Tuesday.
Nassib’s announcement video on Monday, during Pride month, was greeted with support from the NFL and his team, and the 28-year-old took to social media to express his “gratitude and relief.”
Yokoyama, who plays for National Women’s Soccer League side Washington Spirit, said living in the United States and Germany had shown that it was possible to be more comfortable with their identity.
“Because of you, countless kids around the world are seeing themselves in a new light today,” Biden added on Twitter.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)