As the issue of homosexuality rises in the NFL, two of its most outspoken players and gay rights advocates have joined in filing briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court backing gay marriage. The Associated Press reported Friday that both Brendan Ayanbadejo of the Baltimore Ravens and Chris Kluwe of the Minnesota Vikings have offered their stance in favor of gay marriage in writing.
In the brief, they write:
“When we advance the idea that some people should be treated differently because of who they are, demeaned in public as lesser beings, not worthy of the same rights and benefits as others despite their actions as good citizens and neighbors, then we deny them equal protection under the laws. America has walked this path before, and courageous people and the Court brought us to the right result. We urge the Court to repeat those actions here.”
The brief came just in time for this week’s deadline for friend-of-the-court filings in two gay marriage cases that will be heard by the Supreme Court later this month. One of the briefs deals with the U.S. Defense of Marriage Act and the other will challenge Proposition 8.
This brief by two of the most outspoken professional players in sports is part of many briefs filed including a recent briefs by the Obama administration, one asking the Supreme Court to overturn DOMA and the other asking the court to overturn Prop 8.
Both Ayanbadejo and Kluwe continue to be very vocal when it comes to gay marriage and also issues surrounding the NFL involving the acceptance of gay football players and reports that NFL teams have been asking players their sexual orientation.
Kluwe feels the NFL should investigate teams.
He says that the NFL “needs to make it clear this is not a question that should be asked".
Kluwe feels a player should be judged on the field which goes back to the brief written by both himself and Ayanbadejo which states people not being treated “different because of who they are”.
Both players were recently named by PFLAG National, the nation’s largest grassroots-based non-profit for families, friends, and straight allies of LGBT people as two of the honorees who will be honored at the fifth annual Straight for Equality Awards Gala.
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