Chris Kluwe Pens Letter Defending Gay Marriage, Insulting Delegate Emmett C. Burns Jr.
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayandabejo and Maryland state delegate Emmett C. Burns Jr. have been having a little war of words over gay marriage lately. Well, Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe decided to jump into the fight with an awesome, hilarious, and insulting letter in support of Ayandabejo and his right to support gay marriage.
So here’s what happened. Ayandabejo has been using his Twitter account to promote marriage equality. Well, he’s been using his twitter account like anyone uses a twitter account and the linebacker occasionally posted messages supporting gay marriage. Delegate Burns didn’t like that. Burns wrote a letter to the Baltimore Ravens saying that he found it “inconceivable” that Ayanbadejo would voice his opinion and “publicly support gay marriage.”
“I find it inconceivable that one of your players, Mr. Brendon Ayanbadejo would publicly endorse same-sex marriage… Many of my constituents and your football supporters are appalled and aghast that a member of the Ravens Football Team would step into this controversial divide and try to sway public opinion one way or the other… I am requesting that you take the necessary action, as a National Football League Owner, to inhibit such expressions from your employees and that he be ordered to cease and desist such injurious actions. I know of no other NFL player who has done what Mr. Ayanbadejo is doing.”
The Ravens haven’t officially responded but Ayandabejo has. The NFL player thanked Burns for giving the issue a national spotlight.
Ayandabejo said:
“Football is just my job it’s not who I am. I am an American before anything. And just like every American I have the right to speak!!!”
Ayandabejo also got the support of Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, who sent an awesome letter over to Burns. You can read the entire letter, which is slightly NSFW, at Deadspin. Here are some of the highlights.
“I find it inconceivable that you are an elected official of Maryland’s state government. Your vitriolic hatred and bigotry make me ashamed and disgusted to think that you are in any way responsible for shaping policy at any level.”
That’s just the intro…
“As I suspect you have not read the Constitution, I would like to remind you that the very first, the VERY FIRST Amendment in this founding document deals with the freedom of speech, particularly the abridgment of said freedom. By using your position as an elected official (when referring to your constituents so as to implicitly threaten the Ravens organization) to state that the Ravens should “inhibit such expressions from your employees,” more specifically Brendon Ayanbadejo, not only are you clearly violating the First Amendment, you also come across as a narcissistic fromunda stain.”
A great mix of valid points and a disgusting insult. Kluwe continues with a few questions for Burns.
“If gay marriage becomes legal, are you worried that all of a sudden you’ll start thinking about penis? “Oh sh*t. Gay marriage just passed. Gotta get me some of that hot dong action!” Will all of your friends suddenly turn gay and refuse to come to your Sunday Ticket grill-outs? (Unlikely, since gay people enjoy watching football too.)” I can assure you that gay people getting married will have zero effect on your life. They won’t come into your house and steal your children. They won’t magically turn you into a lustful c**kmonster.
Kluwe ends his letter by telling Burns that Ayandabejo isn’t the only NFL player to support gay marriage.
Kluwe writes:
“I’ve also been vocal as hell about the issue of gay marriage so you can take your “I know of no other NFL player who has done what Mr. Ayanbadejo is doing” and shove it in your close-minded, totally lacking in empathy piehole and choke on it.”
Kluwe, by the way, is the punter, a position that typically doesn’t get a lot of respect. Well, if he didn’t have your respect before, he should have it now.
What do you think of Kluwe’s letter? Should NFL players be able to voice their political opinions?
