Brendon Ayanbadejo plays linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens. He is also a big supporter of gay marriage. With a gay marriage bill being argued in Maryland, Ayanbadejo has come out with a strong and unequivocal message in support of same-sex marriage. He says in a video (below):
Gay and lesbian couples want to marry for similar reasons as we all do: love and commitment. It’s time to allow them the opportunity to build a family through marriage. It’s a matter of fairness. This is why I’m asking Marylanders to join me in supporting marriage equality for same-sex couples.
“Having the freedom to marry means committed couples and their children will have the same crucial protections under the law as other families. Churches can always have their beliefs, but government is supposed to treat everybody the same, and that’s equal. America is supposed to be the land of the free but in order for this to be true for all of us, then we must have the ability to marry whom we love regardless of their gender.
Video:
on Mar 9th, 2011 at 1:07 AM
Awesome video. Wonder why exactly he was drawn to do it?
on Mar 9th, 2011 at 6:48 AM
Thank you Brendon Ayanbadejo. Your powerful and eloquent defense of gay marriage is further proof of a generational shift and the reason why I argue in my research on Stigma that the our best allies are those in the sporting community. Thanks OUTSPORTS too for providing a forum for these courageous young allies to speak and to inspire.
on Mar 9th, 2011 at 8:23 AM
@Sam
It would be nice to think that an NFL player can support something based purely on principle, and that may be the case for Ayanbadejo.
But most people – gay or straight – tend to support marriage equality because it affects someone who they know and care about. Also Maryland has gay elected state officials. People in the limelight or prominence in society tend to know each other.
on Mar 9th, 2011 at 8:26 AM
I took a look at his Wiki profile and found that he has a past of being politically active:
“Ayanbadejo wrote for the Santa Cruz Sentinel his first couple of years in the NFL. He has advocated for the passage of the FIT Kids Act, federal legislation that would require school districts to report on students’ physical activity and to give youngsters health and nutritional information.”
I’d say if he intends to “progress” in that field this is a good start.
on Mar 9th, 2011 at 10:51 AM
He’s a beautiful man, physically, morally, and by just about every other measure!
When Brian Sims talks, he mentions that the majority of athletes in Ayandadejo’s age group support gay rights. Sims says that they just need to speak up. Ayandadejo just did!
on Mar 9th, 2011 at 3:57 PM
Updated link for the video (now w/o a “stretch” effect):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5IpTdbE5ts
on Mar 9th, 2011 at 8:16 PM
very nice thank you Mr. Ayanbadejo. already posted the youtube video to my Facebook page
on Mar 10th, 2011 at 9:42 AM
This is a difficult news story to comment on because it makes it difficult for us fags to bash the United States. Give us something we can use, for crying out loud!!