PITTSBURGH – As much of the country continues to fight for equality, a Cincinnati Bengals lineman visited Instagram to post a harsh and hurtful image that he would later remove.
Bobby Hart posted a pretty homophobic photo on his Instagram story.
Hart entered the NFL as a seventh-round coach in 2015 and found himself playing for the Bengals two years ago. Starting all 16 games for Cincinnati in 2018 and 2019, Hart has become a constant member of one of the worst offenses in the league.
While large numbers of NFL players discuss ways they can use their platform to drive change, Hart looks to force the other hand.
The Bengals haven’t made a public comment on the incident, but every time someone deletes a post, it’s usually because they realize they are going to have a backlash.
The NFL is helping the fight for racial equality by donating $ 250 million over 10 years to racial justice programs. The league has not spoken of lobbying for equal rights when it comes to the LGBTQ community.
In the past, the league has come under fire for pressure many gay athletes feel to keep their identities a secret while playing. Hart is another example of why that has been a problem.
Noah Strackbein is a senior writer for AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
