Despite that, aside from one or two exceptions, none of these players ever stepped out and actively promoted marriage equality, LGBT anti-bullying or anything of the sort. And that’s fine. People can support whatever causes they feel like supporting. But their reluctance to speak out on these issues (as opposed to various other political and societal matters) spoke volumes about what where they really were on the topic of having gay teammates, same-sex marriage, etc.
One NFL player is aiming to change that perception, though.
Minnesota Vikings punter, Chris Kluwe, has spent the last few months unapologetically defending the idea of same-sex marriage, and now he’s taking his support one step further. How? Well, Kluwe (a straight guy), posed for the most recent issue of OUT Magazine.
"I've always relished breaking that stereotype of the dumb jock athlete because while I enjoyed athletics growing up, I also enjoyed reading and video games, and athletic sport is not what defines me as a person," Kluwe told OUT's Cyd Zeigler (via Yahoo! Sports). "I think as more and more generations start rising through the NFL, a lot of these kids see that it's OK to be something other than an athlete."
Why is this issue so important to him? Kluwe explained that in a recent interview with CNN.
"To me, this fight is about equality and human rights," Kluwe said (via Yahoo! Sports). "The fact is, there are Americans who pay taxes and serve in our military -- who defend this country -- who do not receive the same legal protections as the rest of us. To me, that's flat-out discrimination. That's the same as segregation or suffrage…I will defend to the death your right to say or do whatever you want, as long as it does not oppress other people."
(Kudos Yahoo! Sports)
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