SF 49ers Player Chris Culliver -- Gays Are NOT Welcome In Our Locker Room
49ers Player Chris Culliver Gays Are NOT Welcome In Our Locker Room
3:15 PM PT -- The 49ers organization is speaking out AGAINST Culliver ... saying the team "rejects" Chris' comments.
A rep for the 49ers says the team has already addressed the matter with Chris ... and adds, "There is no place for discrimination within our organization at any level."
"We have and always will proudly support the LGBT community.”
Gay football players are NOT welcome in the San Francisco 49ers locker room ... at least according to one current 49ers player.
Chris Culliver -- who started 6 games as cornerback for the team this season -- made the homophobic comments to Artie Lange during a radio interview at a Super Bowl media event earlier this week.
When asked if gay players would be welcome on the team, Culliver said ... "I don't do the gay guys man. I don't do that."
Artie then asked if Chris knew of any gay players on his team ... to which Culliver answered, "No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do."
He continued, "Can't be with that sweet stuff. Nah … can't be … in the locker room man. Nah."
Culliver also said ... if a gay player were to make it in the NFL, he should not only keep his sexuality a secret from the other players ... but stay quiet for 10 YEARS after that.
Culliver and the 49ers will take the field on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens -- a team which features a very outspoken pro-gay rights advocate Brendon Ayanbadejo.
Culliver's feelings are NOT shared by his entire team ... earlier this week, several members of the 49ers spoke in SUPPORT of gay players ... including coach Jim Harbaugh.
“I ask all players to play through their own personality and be who they are. What you ask of a player is to be a great teammate and be a good player. My expectations would be the same,” Harbaugh said. “Personally, there’s no discrimination in my heart.”
Linebacker Larry Grant echoed Harbaugh ... saying, "At the end of the day, we are all family in this locker room, and we accept each player for whoever they are."
Ditto for cornerback Tarell Brown ... who said, "Whatever makes you happy, do it. I just feel like, you shouldn’t hide it. At the end of the day don’t be embarrassed with what you are, or what you do. If you are that way, that’s you.”
Earlier this year, several members of the team participated in a video for the "It Gets Better" campaign to provide support for the LGBT community. Culliver was not featured in the video.