Brendon Ayanbadejo: It's #Time4Marriage

This clip is by the Respect For Marriage Coalition. It is pushing their new campaign, #Time4Marriage.

Interesting Quote: Brendon Ayanbadejo

"You know, I think that in San Francisco, and being from the Bay Area myself, that's something that we really try to preach -- love and acceptance of everybody. And so I couldn't really even say anything negative to the young man. It's just one of those things where you have to live and you have to learn. And I said earlier on (a TV broadcast) -- in the words of Martin Luther King, you can't fight hate with hate. You have to fight hate with love. We've all made our mistakes, we've all been there and done certain things, and we've hurt people regardless if we meant to do it or not. But more than anything it's an opportunity to have a learning experience. 

I've preached since day one to my teammates that there's certain words you can't say. And when they're around me they know -- if B.A.'s around, you can't say 'gay' in a derogatory manner, you can't say the three-letter 'f' word. And I tell them, I go, you can't say those things. And if people hear you say those things, regardless if you mean them or not, they're going to fry you. And if it's in a public arena your whole reputation's going to be roasted for it. 

So we've kind of seen it happen this time. So we just have to all learn from what happened, from this mistake. He apologized and hopefully he'll learn. And he's in the Bay Area, and it's really important there, it's pertinent there. So I think he's going to learn and he's going to grow to be a better person for it."

source

Interesting Quote: Brendon Ayanbadejo

“I believe that there are not as many gay people in the NFL as in the regular population. This is a discussion I’ve been having on Twitter for quite some time now. Some people say, ‘You’re stupid.’ But even though there is not yet a proven gay gene, I believe people are born gay. It is a natural phenomenon.

There are definitely gay players in the NFL. I’m not saying that there are not. Some people say the gay guys in the NFL aren’t coming out because they’re scared and worried about what’s going to happen to their careers. But I think the first person who comes out and says they are gay, everyone is going to write a book and do stories about them. They’re going to make a lot more money by saying they’re gay than by not saying they’re gay. But are we ready to hear that? Is that person going to be comfortable to do that? I don’t think they are right now because of society and the way things are.

Eventually, I think there will be someone. But the number (of gay players) is so minute. If they say the regular population is 7 to 9 percent (LGBT), in the NFL it might be 3 percent. I could be completely wrong, but I’ve played for so long and so many others have. When you hear players coming out that are retired, they are few and far between. Why wouldn’t we hear about more players if it’s the same percentage like in the regular population?

What I’m saying is controversial. There is no proof. It’s just my theory.”

source

Brendon Ayanbadejo chats with Al Sharpton about Gay Marriage

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Gay Right Supporter Brendon Ayanbadejo goes to CNN - VIDEO

Brendon made an appearance on CNN this morning to talk about the drama with dummy of the month, Emmett C. Burns Jr. and gay rights.


It feels really good to see this, we need more allies to take a stand.

Another Football Player takes a Stand for Gay Rights

Earlier, I blogged about the Maryland lawmaker Emmett C. Burns trying to silence football player, Brendon Ayanbadejo over gay marriage. Now, another football player has joined in the mix.

Chris Kluwe from the Minnesota Vikings, wrote a letter striking down Emmett's foolishness while supporting gay rights.

In the letter, he said: (read the whole thing here)

I can assure you that gay people getting married will have zero effect on your life. They won't come into your house and steal your children. They won't magically turn you into a lustful cockmonster. They won't even overthrow the government in an orgy of hedonistic debauchery because all of a sudden they have the same legal rights as the other 90 percent of our population—rights like Social Security benefits, child care tax credits, Family and Medical Leave to take care of loved ones, and COBRA healthcare for spouses and children. You know what having these rights will make gays? Full-fledged American citizens just like everyone else, with the freedom to pursue happiness and all that entails. Do the civil-rights struggles of the past 200 years mean absolutely nothing to you?

Chris also went on The Ed Show to talk more about the issue

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I think this is wonderful. We are seeing football players, who are known to be 'special' take a stand for gay rights. Let's keep this going!

Maryland legislator wants to silence Brendon Ayanbadejo about Gay Marriage

This is some odd news...

Maryland legislator Emmert C. Burns Jr. told the owner of the Baltimore Ravens to silence Brendon Ayanbadejo over gay marriage.

USA Today reports:

In a letter dated Aug. 29, 2012 and addressed to Ravens owner Steve Biscotti, Emmert C. Burns Jr., a democrat in the Maryland House of Delegates, writes that Ayanbadejo should be silenced. 

"I find it inconceivable that one of your players, Mr. Brendon Ayanbadejo, would publicly endorse Same-Sex marriage, specifically as a Ravens football player," Burns writes. 

"I am requesting that you take the necessary action, as a National Football League Owner, to inhibit such expressions from your employees and that he be ordered to cease and desist such injurious actions. I know of no other NFL player who has done what Mr. Ayanbadejo is doing."

Brendon wasn't phased, but had this to say:

"I was surprised. It's what our country was founded on," he says of his free speech rights. "For somebody to try to take that away from me I was pretty surprised, from a politician especially. 

"People get fired for saying the things that the delegate said. People lose their jobs for discrimination." 

Should Burns be fired? 

"I think that whoever voted for him has their right to vote for who they believe represents their values. And if he represents their values, he's the best person for the job. If Obama represents the best values for the country, he deserves the job."

Brendon also thanked Emmert for bringing national attention to the issue.

Baltimore Ravens’ Brendon Ayanbadejo flexes for NOH8

Very nice

WATCH Baltimore Raven Brendon Ayanbadejo speaks out for Gay Marriage

This is a part of HRC's new campaign

WATCH: Brendan Ayanbadejo about his support for Marriage Equality on ESPN

Interesting Quote: Baltimore Ravens linebacker, Brendon Ayanbadejo

“If Britney Spears can party it up in Vegas with one of her boys and go get married on a whim and annul her marriage the next day, why can’t a loving same-sex couple tie the knot?

How could our society grant more rights to a heterosexual one-night-stand wedding in Vegas than a gay couple that has been together for three, five, 10 years of true love? The divorce rate in America is currently 50 percent. I am willing to bet that same-sex marriages have a higher success rate than heterosexual marriages.”

he also attended Equality Maryland to show his support