NFL player speaks out to say ‘now is the window’ for gay players to come out
An NFL player has spoken out in an interview to say that despite being a Christian, he supports gay athletes who want to come out, and that they should “do what you want to do”.
Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III said he thought the time was right for gay players to come out, following the lead of other major-league sports players to come out in 2013.
In an interview with GQ, he said: “Yeah, man, I think there are [gay players] right now, and if they’re looking for a window to just come out, I mean, now is the window.”
“My view on it is, yes, I am a Christian, but to each his own,” he continued. ”You do what you want to do. If some Christians want to look at being gay as a sin, then thinking about other women, committing adultery — or any of those other sins that are in the Bible — those are sins, too. And God looks at all of us the same way.”
The issue of gay players coming out in a major US professional team sport is particularly prominent at the moment as In April NBA star Jason Collins confirmed he is gay in an article to Sports Illustrated magazine. He said: “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.”
Kluwe recently announced that he had been dropped by the Minnesota Vikings, saying that “making people aware of an issue that is causing children to commit suicide is more important than kicking a leather ball.” Some reports suggested his equal rights advocacy was the reason he was dropped.
According to an ESPN poll of NFL players last year, 38.5% said they did not think the US should legalise equal marriage, with 61.5% for allowing same-sex couples marriage equality.
