Brendon Ayanbadejo expands his gay advocacy to transgender rights
Wed. February 6, 2013 11:50 AM by OnTopMag.com
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo has signaled that he's prepared to back a transgender protections bill in Maryland.
The 36-year-old Ayanbadejo vocally supported passage of a gay marriage law last year. A measure which would expand critical workplace protections based on gender identity is currently before the Maryland General Assembly.
Ayanbadejo, fresh off the Ravens' Super Bowl XLVII victory, appeared on CNN to discuss his gay rights advocacy.
When asked his thoughts on comparing marriage equality to the civil rights movement, Ayanbadejo said people are born gay, and went on to suggest support for the proposed law.
"If you're educated on the issue and you sit down and you talk to a gay person, and I've been talking to gay people – everyone's been talking to gay people our entire lives, whether we know it or not – but 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 everybody 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 if 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 everyone equally. Let's move on. Let's evolve as a culture, as a people."
(Watch the entire segment on CNN)
The 36-year-old Ayanbadejo vocally supported passage of a gay marriage law last year. A measure which would expand critical workplace protections based on gender identity is currently before the Maryland General Assembly.
Ayanbadejo, fresh off the Ravens' Super Bowl XLVII victory, appeared on CNN to discuss his gay rights advocacy.
When asked his thoughts on comparing marriage equality to the civil rights movement, Ayanbadejo said people are born gay, and went on to suggest support for the proposed law.
"If you're educated on the issue and you sit down and you talk to a gay person, and I've been talking to gay people – everyone's been talking to gay people our entire lives, whether we know it or not – but 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 everybody 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 if 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 everyone equally. Let's move on. Let's evolve as a culture, as a people."
(Watch the entire segment on CNN)
Article provided in partnership with On Top Magazine