This. This is the interview people need to see.
Super Bowl Champion Brendon Aueanbadejo talks to CNN’s Don Lemon about his mission to support equal rights for the LGBT community. He is clear, strong and articulate on the subject.
This is how someone speaks when they know what they feel. Go back and watch Chris Culliver speak to the press about his “apology” for his anti-gay comments. He looks dazed, confused and shocked.
Now look at Brendon here. This is a champion.
Just some of Brendon’s statements in this great interview with Don Lemon:
• “I don’t consider it gay rights. I just call it rights. Everyone deserves to be treated equally, said Ayanbadejo, kicking off a discussion about his advocacy for marriage equality, Chris Culliver’s remarks, what he thinks about people that call being gay an abomination, and the other straight athlete allies working to bring acceptance of LGBT people to sports.”
• “Now that I’m a Super Bowl champion now my voice just projects that much further and hopefully it can lead to more change and more positive things for the LGBT community.”
• “Everyone’s been talking to gay people their whole lives whether we know it or not. We really believe that you’re born gay. I’ve had plenty of conversations with people that are gay and they say they are born gay, no different than me being born this beautiful almond coconut color that I am. People are born gay. So why treat them any differently? It’s time that we treat everyone fairly. And not only are we trying to dictate who people should love. We’re also trying to dictate who people should be. If a woman wants to wear a man’s clothes or a man wants to wear a woman’s clothes or you feel like you’re a woman on the inside and you’re really a man. Who cares? Let’s just treat everybody equally. Let’s move on. Let’s evolve as a culture, as a people.”
• When asked about Chris Culliver’s remarks: “I think more than anything it’s going to be a learning experience for him…We have to start talking about this issue. There’s groups like Athlete Ally, and myself, Chris Kluwe, Scott Fujita. We’re all about inclusiveness in sports and treating everyone equally… It’s unfortunate that he made the comments. I know he’s sorry for them, and I know he’s gonna make it right when he gets the opportunity to do so.”
• How do you address people who say being gay is an abomination? “I say that this Constitution gives you the right to believe in whatever you want to believe in… Don’t use those same rights to disenfranchise others.”
• Brendon says he does not know any closeted players but says he’s working with other allies so that when a player does decide to come out he’ll have help: “When our Jackie Robinson does come out he’s going to have a supporting cast around him.”
