Antonio Brown rips Khalen Saunders for hosting LGBTQ-friendly youth football camp - "F****t of the day"
Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown is not pleased with Khalen Saunders' attempts to diversify football for LGBTQ youth. He plans to host a camp this year that he first mentioned at the 2025 GLAAD awards last month. He then opened up further on Good Morning Football on NFL Network, saying,
"Being an ally is more than just saying I support, but it's also showing up. Being in the NFL is very male-dominant and heterosexual dominant and it feels as though there's not really a space for the LGBTQ community."
This news did not sit well with Brown, who has a history of poorly worded statements in the past. The wide receiver used a pejorative to express his disapproval of Khalen Saunders' plan, writing on X,
"F****t of the day"
Antonio Brown has a previous record of homophobic slurs, as Khalen Saunders looks ahead
This particular phrase, including the homophobic slur that Antonio Brown chose to use against Khalen Saunders, has a precedent. He used the same language when referring to NBA player Jared McCain, who had posted a video of himself dancing on social media with a shower cap and painted nails during the NBA draft. The video drew the former wide receiver's ire, leading him to use the objectionable phrase that he repeated today.
Khalen Saunders, meanwhile, took the high road and continued to speak of making the sport inclusive for all. He pointed out that some fans might shy away from playing the sport due to sexual orientation or external pressures. Saunders believes that he can spread positive energy to address such issues and make football for everyone.
"These are people who feel like they have to be hidden, although they might love the sport, they might love the NFL, they might love football in general as a sport, but they kind of shy away from it just because of orientations, or all these other kind of outside things... That's my goal to continue to spread positive energy around that because football is for everybody. Football is for all."
Antonio Brown's viewpoint contrasts sharply with Khalen Saunders' message. The former wide receiver sees no issues in using certain words on social media. Inclusivity in football is a pillar in Saunders' Original Element foundation, and he is partnering with GLAAD and NFL Pride Football Combine to achieve those ends.