Coming out: Pro athletes in support of marriage equality

The Vikings punter lashed out at Baltimore County Delegate, Emmett Burns Jr., who lashed out at Brendon Ayanbadejo for his remarks regarding gay marriage. Kluwe wrote an open letter to Burns which can be found here.The Ravens linebacker and now Super Bowl champion has been a strong supporter of marriage equality for a long time. He blogged for the Huffington Post about same-sex marriages and even donated Raven’s tickets to support his cause.“I was raised around gay people in a very liberal society. Discrimination was never allowed,” said Ayanbadejo in a September interview.Faried has vehemently supported marriage equality as he was raised by two women which he refers to both as “mom.” His two mothers got married in New Jersey in 2007.Although he supports the bill which allows gay couples to form civil unions in Colorado, the Manimal  doesn’t like that it must be called a "civil union". He believes it should be referred to as a marriage. “You still have the same thing, same love and happiness,” states Faried in a video interview.View the list »
Kenneth Faried supports marriage equality

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Kenneth “The Manimal” Faried of the Denver Nuggets made news yesterday when he became the first NBA player to join Athlete Ally, a non-profit organization dedicated to end homophobia in sports. Faried joins Athlete Ally along with NFL players Brendon Ayanbadejo of the Ravens, Chris Kluwe of the Vikings, Scott Fujita of the Browns, Connor Barwin of the Texans and other athletes from various sports around the world.

The Manimal has vehemently supported marriage equality as he was raised by two women who he refers to as “mom.” His two mothers got married in New Jersey in 2007.

“Becoming an Athlete Ally gives me the opportunity to spread a message of inclusiveness throughout the NBA and our country,” said Faried. “I have two moms and I love them both very much. I respect, honor and support them in every way. The bond I have with them has made me realize that I want all members of the LGBT community; whether they are parents, players, coaches or fans to feel welcome in the NBA and in all of our communities."

Executive Director of Athlete Ally, Hudson Taylor, expressed his excitement of Faried’s endorsement by stating "Kenneth is standing out not only as an incredible talent, but as an incredible ally. We are thrilled to have him on board and grateful to the NBA for its continued leadership."

In related news, NBA superstar Kobe Bryant responded to a fan’s tweet on Sunday that simply stated “You’re gay” as an insult to another fan. Kobe’s tweet read: "Just letting you know@PacSmoove @pookeo9 that using 'your gay' as a way to put someone down ain't ok! #notcool delete that out ur vocab." Ironically, Bryant was fined $100,000 by the NBA in April, 2012 for calling a ref a “fa**ot.”

There has yet to be a male athlete to come out as gay while playing in a professional American sports league. Puerto Rican boxer Orlando Cruz made headlines in October, 2012 when he came out as gay as the first active athlete to do so.

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  • Faried has vehemently supported marriage equality as he was raised by two women which he refers to both as “mom.” His two mothers got married in New Jersey in 2007.Although he supports the bill which allows gay couples to form civil unions in Colorado, the Manimal  doesn’t like that it must be called a "civil union". He believes it should be referred to as a marriage. “You still have the same thing, same love and happiness,” states Faried in a video interview.
  • The Ravens linebacker and now Super Bowl champion has been a strong supporter of marriage equality for a long time. He blogged for the Huffington Post about same-sex marriages and even donated Raven’s tickets to support his cause.“I was raised around gay people in a very liberal society. Discrimination was never allowed,” said Ayanbadejo in a September interview.
  • The Vikings punter lashed out at Baltimore County Delegate, Emmett Burns Jr., who lashed out at Brendon Ayanbadejo for his remarks regarding gay marriage. Kluwe wrote an open letter to Burns which can be found here.
  • The NHL player became the first pro athlete to endorse Athlete Ally. When with the Rangers in 2011, he lobbied politicians in New York to make same-sex marriage legal in the Empire State.“I certainly have been surrounded by the gay community. And living in New York and when you live in L.A., you certainly have a lot of gay friends,” Avery stated in a May 2011 interview with the New York Times.
  • The Hall of Fame wide receiver and NFL Network personality spoke out in support of LGBT rights in July 2011, citing the passing of his older brother who was openly gay. Irvin says he will support any pro athlete that decides to come out.
  • When President Obama publicly stated his support to allow same-sex couples to wed, Floyd “Money” Mayweather hit the Twittersphere to voice his support for his President and his beliefs. Meanwhile, rival boxer Manny Pacquiao stated his opinion that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
  • NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has been a staunch believer in marriage equality as early as 2006. Barkley has also said that he would have no problem playing alongside an openly gay teammate.
  • When the Suns’ CEO, Rick Welts, came out in 2011, Steve Nash stood by his boss in support of his choice and rights. Nash endorsed the Human Rights Campaign in 2011 and appeared in this video voicing his support for marriage equality.
  • When his home country of Argentina adopted a law in 2010 that legalized same-sex marriage and the right for gay couples to adopt children, Spurs’ guard Manu Ginobili voiced his support for marriage equality in his home country as well as other parts of the world.
  • Former New York Giant and now co-host of “LIVE! with Kelly and Michael,” Strahan joined forces with Steve Nash and the Human Rights Campaign in 2011 appearing in this video endorsing marriage equality.
  • When with the New Orleans Saints, Scott Fujita affirmatively responded to Brendon Ayanbadejo’s stance on gay marriage.“I wish they would realize that it’s not a religion issue. It’s not a government issue. It’s not even a gay/straight issue or a question of your manhood. It’s a human issue. And until more people see that, we’re stuck arguing with people who don’t have an argument,” Fujita is quoted in a 2009 interview.
  • This soccer superstar whose native country of Portugal legalized same-sex marriage in 2010 made a statement in support of the newly passed law. Ronaldo stated “We must respect the choices made by anyone, because, after all, all citizens should have the exact same rights and responsibilities.”
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Kyle Bisio is an internet professional. He has a degree in photojournalism from the Metropolitan State University of Denver and has been a freelance journalist for the Associated Press, Examiner.com and the Denver Post.

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