Donte' Stallworth: 'I was very homophobic'
Donte' Stallworth revealed his past homophobia on an episode of ESPN's Outside the Lines. (NFL via Getty Images)
On a recent episode of ESPN's Outside the Lines, Washington Redskins wide receiver Donte' Stallworth said he was "very homophobic" and he couldn't be with in the same room with a gay man "at all."
Stallworth he was ashamed to disclose his past homophobic behavior but the receiver admitted that when he used to go out to a club, he would yell homophobic slurs "for no reason." Stallworth said it took some personal hardships to render his homophobic behavior. Stallworth recently agreed to have his likeness featured on the NFL's LGBT Pride t-shirts.
Stallworth opened up to Outside the Lines:
“I’ve experienced hate because of me for a number of reason,” he explained. “For the color of my skin, or having money. For my accident with my DUI and manslaughter four or five years ago. When I started to look back on that, and the hate that I got from all those people and I looked at it, like, you know what? That’s the same thing I’m doing towards gays. So I can’t be upset with these people if I’m being a bigot and acting that same way.”
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While the NFL is still without its first openly gay player, Stallworth said there would be issues if a player decided to come out publicly and that for someone who is "ignorant" towards the gay community that it would be hard for that person to get into the shower with a gay teammate.
Stallworth recently signed a deal with the Redskins after a successful tryout.
