In 2014, Michael Sam became the first openly gay player to be drafted to the National Football League. He left his spot on the St. Louis Rams just a few months later, but he’s back in the news again with a cover story in the May issue of Attitude Magazine. In the interview, Sam opens up to the UK-based magazine about the major differences between how he’s been treated by the LGBTQ and Black communities.

On the gay community
It’s terrible. People have told me I’m not gay enough, people have told me I’m not Black enough. I don’t know what that means. You want to be accepted by other people, but you don’t even accept someone just because of the colour of their skin? I just don’t understand that at all. How are you saying that, ‘Oh, I want people to accept me because I’m gay, but I don’t accept you because you’re Black, or because you’re White or because you’re Asian.’

On the Black community
I can only go by my experience and the people I’ve been around. I think it’s more accepting, actually. There are a lot of Black, openly gay people. A lot of people have [gay] friends, cousins, brothers, sisters…. They have at least one openly gay person, at least it’s more accepting, that’s my experience. People tell me they have family members who are gay and it doesn’t freak them out and no Black person ever freaked out at me, ‘Oh you’re gay’. None. There are people who are over religious who go, ‘Oh, you’re a fag, you’re going to hell.’ That’s everywhere.

(H/t The Gaily Grind)