Tag: LGBT ally

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California: Rep. Jim Costa supports marriage equality

Representative Jim Costa (D-CA), who was one of seven House Democrats who have not taken a position on same-sex marriage, has stated he is in support of it in a message quietly posted on the HRC website:

“In the San Joaquin Valley, family always comes first but what that family looks like is not always the same. While I respect the opinion of those who might disagree, I support marriage for all couples who wish to make this life-long commitment.”

The six House Democrats who have note yet taken a position are Cedric Richmond (LA), Kurt Schrader (OR), David Scott (GA), Terry Sewell (AL), Bennie Thompson (MS), and freshman Filemon Vela (TX).

(via Towleroad)

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Hudson Taylor comes out…

…as an ally of equality!

Brett Ratner has produced and directed a campaign in collaboration with GLAAD promoting allies of the LGBT community to “come out” and stand up for their friends..

They feature a number of well-known celebs and allies “coming out of the closet” for equality.
Jackie Chan, Tamala Jones, Giada De Laurentiis, DeRay Davis, Hudson Taylor, Jaime King, Jason Alexander, Kristen Johnston, Sarah Shahi, and Pauley Perrette are featured in the first set. I’ve posted four of them above.

According to GLAAD, “Comcast and NBCUniversal will serve as a leading media partner for the PSA campaign, contributing $1.5 million in national airtime on its Xfinity TV cable systems and bringing this important message to more than 20 million homes over the next year.”

Visit www.glaad.org/ally to join the Ally Network and take action for LGBT equality.

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Brendon Ayanbedejo cut by Baltimore Ravens

Marriage equality ally Brendon Ayanbadejo’s contract was terminated by the Baltimore Ravens yesterday, Newsday reports:

At tonight’s Straight for Equality Gala in Manhattan where he and Vikings punter Chris Kluwe were being honored, Ayanbadejo said his non-football activities were a factor in the Ravens’ decision.

“My bark is louder than my bite,” he told Newsday. “I make a lot of noise and garner a lot of attention for various things off the football field. When that starts happening, why do you have that player around?”

Ayanbadejo said he understands it’s just a piece of the ultimate decision. The three-time Pro Bowler as a special teamer said he knows the Ravens can find players to do what he does for less money and conceded that his productivity has gone down in recent years.

“But,” he said, “I don’t necessarily think that teams want this type of attention.”

The Ravens say it had nothing to do with that:

“We are surprised that Brendan would indicate that,” said Ravens spokesman Kevin Byrne. “We have always respected Brendan’s opinions and his right to express them. He was released for football reasons, period.”

UPDATE – Brendon posted the following statement on his Facebook page clarifying he was NOT cut for speaking out about marriage equality:

“Just a heads up I did an interview today and no way said I was cut because my views. I said my talk was louder than my production and at 36 when you are not producing it is a fair move. You can find cheaper guys to do what I do. Ravens are the best organization in the NFL period!”

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CNN: Chris Kluwe – “An openly gay player in the NFL is not a distraction”

Chris Kluwe continues to impress the hell out of me with his smarts, clarity and passion.

Chris Kluwe, punter for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL, is an ambassador for Athlete Ally, an organization working to end homophobia in sports. And he’s an all-around great guy.

After the above appearance with Anderson Cooper on CNN, he penned this special op-ed for CNN.com. Here’s just a bit of Chris Kluwe’s fabulosity:

Why do people care so much about someone else’s sexuality? Why do people give two s***s how someone else lives his life? Why do people have this absolutely idiotic notion that being gay has any sort of effect on how well a player can play football, or basketball, or baseball? Why the f*** do I even have to write this column for a major news organization to talk about something that shouldn’t even remotely be a factor in sports? Well, the reason is simple. I’m writing this because no gay player is currently out, and the first gay player who eventually does come out needs to know that — despite all the indoctrination from the league about not being a distraction — if he’s the one to take the first step, he will have allies. He will have support. He will have those of us who realize that people’s sexuality doesn’t define who they are, just as their jobs don’t define who they are, and that guys who bring our wives and children to games and team events are no different than those who would bring their husbands and children. Most importantly, I’m writing this so that coaches, managers, players, owners and fans realize that the first gay player who comes out won’t spontaneously cause rainbows to erupt out of everyone’s rear.

Make sure you read the entire essay. And follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisWarcraft

Chris Kluwe – you rock. Period.

And – thank you.

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Virginia Sen. Mark Warner supports marriage equality

“I support marriage equality because it is the fair and right thing to do. Like many Virginians and Americans, my views on gay marriage have evolved, and this is the inevitable extension of my efforts to promote equality and opportunity for everyone.

“I was proud to be the first Virginia governor to extend anti-discrimination protections to LGBT state workers. In 2010, I supported an end to the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, and earlier this month I signed an amicus brief urging the repeal of DOMA. I believe we should continue working to expand equal rights and opportunities for all Americans.” – Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), today announcing his support on his Facebook page.

UPDATE: According to BuzzFeed, Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Tim Johnson (D-SD) have also indicated today that they no longer support the Defense of Marriage Act.

(via JMG)

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Kristin Chenoweth on gays and marriage equality

“I think it is very anti-Christian [to hate gay people]. It is the antithesis of what I believe. It is the antithesis of what you should believe if you believe in Jesus. It’s not what he taught, it’s the opposite of what he taught.

If Jesus was to walk the Earth today, or Buddha or anybody, they would be horrified. Those people saying they’re doing it in the name of God? No no no no no.

I speak as a Christian person, and as a woman and as an artist. I would love nothing more for my friends who love each other to get married.

I don’t think it’s a sin, I think we’re born how we’re born. Look at me, I’m 4’11’’, and so if it was a sin to be short, what would I do? Well I’d just be, you know, it’s how God made me.” – LGBT ally and Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth, in an interview with Gay Star News

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Obama administration files amicus brief in SCOTUS Prop 8 case

The Obama administration has filed a “friend of the court” brief asking the Supreme Court to uphold the repeal of Prop 8.

From the AP:

While the administration’s friend-of-the-court brief in the Proposition 8 case does not call for marriage equality across the United States, it does point the court in that direction.

A Supreme Court ruling in line with the administration’s argument could have broad implications and almost certainly expand the rights of same-sex couples to wed.

The administration’s nonbinding brief contends that denying gays and lesbians the right to marry violates the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. The document urges the justices to give extra rigorous review to any law that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation.

SCOTUSblog writes:

Administration sources said that President Obama was involved directly in the government’s choice of whether to enter the case at all, and then in fashioning the argument that it should make.  Having previously endorsed the general idea that same-sex individuals should be allowed to marry the person they love, the President was said to have felt an obligation to have his government take part in the fundamental test of marital rights that is posed by the Proposition 8 case.  The President could take the opportunity to speak to the nation on the marriage question soon.
In essence, the position of the federal government would simultaneously give some support to marriage equality while showing some respect for the rights of states to regulate that institution.  What the brief endorsed is what has been called the “eight-state solution” — that is, if a state already recognizes for same-sex couples all the privileges and benefits that married couples have (as in the eight states that do so through “civil unions”) those states must go the final step and allow those couples to get married.  The argument is that it violates the Constitution’s guarantee of legal equality when both same-sex and opposite-sex couples are entitled to the same marital benefits, but only the opposite-sex couples can get married.
The eight states that apparently would be covered by such a decision are: California (whose Proposition 8, which denies marriage to couples who already have all of the other marital benefits, would fall), Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, and Rhode Island.
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Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: “You Can Play”

LGBT allies Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, who last year gave us “Same Love,” release this video just in time for the first anniversary of the “You Can Play” project. The project is dedicated to ensuring equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis see fit to expand that definition of “play” to the music world too.

Says Macklemore in the video message: “You know someone who’s gay, they just haven’t told you yet,” says Macklemore in the clip, adding, “Don’t let being gay hold you back, and if you’re straight, do not hold others back…Anti-gay language has no place in sports, or music.”

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Chris Kluwe – “Only one thing matters: can you play?”

“If any NFL players happen to read this, I guarantee you’ve played with or against a gay player at some point during your career — that’s simple statistics.

“Guess what? It didn’t make him any less of a player. It didn’t make him any less able to push through conditioning drills, less able to stay awake during meetings, less able to rally for the win when down by 10 with four minutes to go in the game.

“That gay player, whether you knew it or not — he was a teammate. He was your teammate. He was my teammate.

“Just like the coaches go on and on about every preseason: Once you step between those white lines, it doesn’t matter who you are, where you came from, what you believe or when you were born. There’s only one thing that matters, and that’s ‘Can you play?'” – Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, writing for Salon.

(via JMG)