Chis Culliver, the San Francisco 49er who came under heavy fire for making antigay comments shortly before the Super Bowl, appears to truly have had a change of heart.
Though Culliver quickly apologized for his disparaging remarks, many LGBT advocates questioned the athlete's sincerity. But Outsports reports Culliver is making good on his promise to make amends by visiting the Trevor Project in Los Angeles on Tuesday. He also tweeted a picture of himself from the offices with the caption, "Great time at LGBTQ the Q is for [questioning]."
As Outsports' Cyd Zeigler points out, Culliver's apparent 180-degree reversal sends a potent, positive message and his recent efforts could be the beginning of a wonderful story that demonstrates the power of redemption.
Unfortunately, not everyone's views on LGBT acceptance in the NFL are evolving so quickly. RightWingWatch.org reports American Family Association spokesman Bryan Fischer recently said that gay players have no place in the NFL and their inclusion would only cause a "grenade-like explosion" in the locker room that would destroy the team.
Fischer also claimed that no NFL team would knowingly recruit a gay player because "other players are going to stay away from that team in droves" leaving them unable "to complete a roster."
However, several NFL players actively support LGBT equality and even more have gone on record saying they would welcome a gay teammate.
Watch Fischer's full rant below.