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Ex NFL Kicker Arrested For Anti-MAGA, Pro-LGBTQ Rant
We need more courageous allies like Chris Kluwe
I’d never heard of Chris Kluwe until this morning. After reading about him in Daily Kos, the ex-NFL kicker has become one of my heroes.
Chris Kluwe is known primarily for his eight seasons punting for the Minnesota Vikings (2005–2012) where he set eight individual team records.
More remarkable to Yours Truly is that, during his pro-football career, he was outspoken on social issues, in particular same-sex marriage (pre-Obergefell v. Hodges) and LGBTQ+ rights.
His uncompromising position on these issues and refusal to keep quiet led to tension between Kluwe and the Vikings’ coaching staff.
In September, 2012, Kluwe published a letter on the sports website Deadspin in support of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo whose views in support of same-sex marriage were being stifled.
Kluwe then engaged in a public editorial tiff with former Viking teammate Matt Birk who had called for a nationwide ban on same-sex marriage.
Kluwe expressed his feelings about equality in a documentary called The Last Barrier which aired on the Bay Area NBC affiliate on December 8, 2012.
