Former NFL running back Larry Johnson tweeted a conspiracy theory on Thursday that the NFL and NBA have an “effeminate agenda” pushed by the Illuminati to indoctrinate heterosexual athletes for the buying power of the LGBTQ community.
“But we not ready to have that conversation yet,” Johnson tweeted.
To support his argument of an “effeminate agenda”, the retired player cited several examples where pro sports organizations participated in inclusive activities that promoted equality.
“October is LGBTQ History month, the NFL players wear pink that month,” Johnson tweeted.
It’s not clear what prompted the tweets, but the timing is suspect, coming on the same day as NFL veteran Ryan Russell came out as bisexual.
“Larry Johnson tweets like this often, but this time he went viral mainly because of NFL free agent came out today and said he was bi-sexual,” Black Sports Online reported.
Russell is former defensive end who last played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017. He wants to return to the NFL.
In an article posted Thursday to ESPN.com, Russell said, “I have two goals: returning to the NFL, and living my life openly. I want to live my dream of playing the game I’ve worked my whole life to play, and being open about the person I’ve always been.”
Christian pastor and author John Pavlovitz called Johnson out for his comments, tweeting, “You’re the reason LGBTQ young people are being bullied, harassed, and dying from suicide.”
Johnson responded, “I don’t preach hate, I spot predictive programming and how they use Heterosexual men to pull it off.”
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 02: Rodney Williams
Jamarlin talks to Rodney Williams, founder and CEO of Lisnr, about raising $10 million in venture capital, HBCU endowments that invest in black tech, and how to fire loyal employees you like.
Johnson suggested that the slim bodies of some players in the NBA are a sign of effeminacy. He also cited two Tennessee Titans’ ownership stake in an Austins cupcake shop, Gigi’s Cupcakes, as another example of the “effeminate” problem in pro sports. And he mentioned the NBA’s involvement in a Vogue fashion show and the NFL’s apparent “feminine behavior” towards helmets.
One of Johnson’s tweets accused the NFL of hypocrisy for making players wear pink: “They want you to think Breast Cancer, but they show you they don’t care much about women, look at the treatment of domestic violence issues.”
Johnson himself has a criminal history of violence against women, Newsweek reported. His record shows multiple arrests for assaulting women. In 2012, he was arrested in Las Vegas for allegedly assaulting an ex-girlfriend. He claimed self defense and was sentenced to a year of probation, mandatory counseling, community service and a $345 fine.
“I can tell you from experience that as long as a teammate contributes to success on the field and in the locker room, NFL players aren’t concerned about who their defensive linemen date,” Russell wrote in an article posted Thursday to ESPN.com. “I’ve never been suspended or a distraction for my conduct off the field. The NFL is a multibillion-dollar entertainment entity with the power to create working conditions that allow LGBTQ people to perform their jobs like everyone else.”
Johnson denies he’s homophobic.
However, in a 2017 Washington Post interview, Johnson said he believes he has chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), from too many head injuries. He attributed some of his bad behavior and memory loss to CTE.
