Sports teams can be a bit daunting for LGBT individuals, after all, there are some who would not be very accepting of having an openly gay team member play with them.
But the world of sports is more open-minded these days. In a report by CBS Sports, San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick declared during an interview last Sunday that his team does not discriminate by sexual orientation, or skin color, or religious preference. What matters is that the player will help the team win, he said.
Kaepernick told ESPN, "I think when he steps into that locker room, everyone's going to know that he's there to help us win games. And that's why you're in the NFL, to help us win games. No one cares if you're black, white, straight, gay, Christian, Jewish, whatever it may be."
The declaration was in reference to the probability of Michael Sam getting drafted by San Francisco. The Missouri defensive lineman recently admitted to being gay. In a report by The Guardian, he added his name to the list of sportsmen who have come out as gay, following the footsteps of former Wales rugby union captain Gareth Thomas, retired Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, Surrey cricketer Steven Davies, Puerto Rican featherweight boxer Orlando Cruz, and basketball star Jason Collins.
The 49ers have publicly spoken about their support for Sam. San Francisco's manager, Trent Baalke said in a statement, "The 49ers commend Michael for the courage he has displayed as he continues to pursue his NFL career. We have and we will continue to evaluate him as we do every draft eligible player, which is always based on their projected contributions to our team on and off the field."
Whether or not Sam ends up getting drafted with the 49ers, he will find out during the NFL's annual draft on May 8-10 in New York City.
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