Interview, Fireside Chat
Esera Tuaolo: Retired NFL Player and LGBT Advocate
- Essara Tuololo is a former NFL player, writer, singer, and LGBTQ+ advocate who joined Goldman Sachs' Consumer Retail Group for a discussion on his career and advocacy work.
- Career Timeline:
- Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1991.
- Played two seasons with the Packers before spending five years with the Minnesota Vikings.
- Played for the Carolina Panthers and appeared in a Super Bowl with the Atlanta Falcons.
- Appeared on NBC's The Voice in 2017, reaching the top 20.
- Identity and Coming Out:
- Identified as gay from a young age while growing up in a Polynesian/Samoan culture that emphasizes masculinity.
- Cited a fifth-grade incident where witnessing the bullying of a boy labeled "Fag," "Fafafine," or "Mahu" caused him to repress his identity.
- Remained closeted throughout his NFL career, describing the environment as "torturous" due to the need to mask his identity in the locker room.
- The primary motivation for coming out publicly in 2002 was his adopted children; he could not sustain the shame of living a double life while parenting.
- Publicly came out on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel in 2000 (noting a discrepancy in the transcript where the speaker says 2002 earlier, but specifies 2000 regarding the TV appearance).
- Personal Impact of Coming Out:
- Described the moment of coming out as an immediate, profound release of burden, stating he felt "light as a feather" and experienced intense emotional relief.
- The disclosure allowed him to pursue suppressed passions, specifically singing, cooking, and acting, without the fear of professional stigma.
- Memoir and Mental Health:
- Published the autobiography Alone in the Trenches: My Life as a Gay Man in the NFL in 2006.
- The book details experiences of sexual abuse, suicidal thoughts, and the psychological toll of the "closet."
- Wrote the memoir to facilitate personal healing and forgiveness after receiving thousands of emails from readers globally encouraging him to share his story.
- Advocacy and Non-Profit Work:
- Founded the non-profit organization Hate Is Wrong (or "Hate in Any Form Is Wrong") to bridge the gap between the professional sports world and the LGBTQ+ community.
- The organization's mission focuses on anti-bullying programs and fostering diversity and inclusion.
- Launched an annual "Inclusion Party" during the Super Bowl to raise funds for local anti-bullying initiatives.
- 100% of proceeds from the Inclusion Party remain in the host city for anti-bullying programs.
- Raised approximately $40,000 for these programs over the first two years of the initiative.
- The third annual event was scheduled to take place in Miami.