Is football becoming the battleground for LGBT Equality and Same-sex marriage.
Standing proudly for it we have the Cleveland Brown’s Scott Fujita, Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo, and the awesomely vocal Chris Kluwe of the Minnesota Viking.
But now we have Baltimore Ravens center (and former Viking) Matt Birk coming out publicly AGAINST same-sex marriage in an Op-Ed that he penned for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune .
…Same-sex unions may not affect my marriage specifically, but it will affect my children — the next generation. Ideas have consequences, and laws shape culture. Marriage redefinition will affect the broader well-being of children and the welfare of society. As a Christian and a citizen, I am compelled to care about both.
I am speaking out on this issue because it is far too important to remain silent. People who are simply acknowledging the basic reality of marriage between one man and one woman are being labeled as “bigots” and “homophobic.” Aren’t we past that as a society?
A defense of marriage is not meant as an offense to any person or group. All people should be afforded their inalienable American freedoms. There is no opposition between providing basic human rights to everyone and preserving marriage as the sacred union of one man and one woman.
I hope that in voicing my beliefs I encourage people on both sides to use reason and charity as they enter this debate. I encourage all Americans to stand up to preserve and promote a healthy, authentic pro-marriage culture in this upcoming election
Don’t we all have family members and friends whom we love who have same-sex attraction? Attempting to silence those who may disagree with you is always un-American, but especially when it is through name-calling, it has no place in respectful conversation.
It always amazes me when people who want to harm and deny rights to others call for “respectful conversations” mostly because they are wrong and full of shit and they know it.
Like so many others opposed to marriage equality, Birk fails to substantiate any opposition with anything real proof, instead making comments like this: “Same-sex unions may not affect my marriage specifically, but it will affect my children” and “Marriage redefinition will affect the broader well-being of children and the welfare of society.”
Blah, blah. blah, blah, blah……
All religious right talking points and personal opinions but no real proof on anything he stated.
That exact same argument Matt Birk put forward was used to oppose inter-racial marriage just a couple of decades ago. People were absolutely positive that children born from inter-racial unions would be doomed to a life of discrimination, harassment, and other horrible fates.
As for your “freedom of speech” Birk no one is stopping you. But here’s a newsflash meathead. When you use bigoted arguments from the past to justify your opinion in the present. It does indeed make you a bigot.
Shockingly (NOT) Birk is also Republican who recently headlined a fundraiser to support the passage of MN’s Voter ID Law
Paging Chris Kluwe!