January 30, 2013
NBA Player Features His 2 Moms in Pro-Gay Video
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.
A professional basketball player recently appeared in a video for OneColorado, an LGBT rights group based in Colorado, and announced that not only does he supports marriage equality but he also has two mothers.
In the clip, Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried sits between his two moms and explains why he believes in legalizing relationships between same-sex couples. The video comes just as Colorado lawmakers have passed a bill that allows same-sex couples to enter into civil unions.
"I support civil union, because it gives people, gays and lesbians, the right to make decisions on their own if they want to get married and let them choose who they want to be with," he said. "Nobody can ever tell me I can't have two mothers, because I really do."
The two women entered into a civil union in New Jersey in 2007, Faried, 23, reveals in the video. They were supposed to be the first same-sex couple to do so in the Garden State but ended up being the fifth after his birthmother became ill.
Last week, Faried, who is known as the "manimal" on the court, came out in favor of same sex unions originally on Denver's Fox affiliate KDVR.
"I'm happy for every gay and lesbian couple out there who want to take that next step and elope," he told the TV station. He also forcefully came out for full marriage equality as opposed to civil unions, which many people consider a half-measure.
"A lot of people say civil unions. I don't like it being called that because I can get married to a female and it can be called a marriage. Why can't a female be married to a female and male be married to a male and it be called a marriage? You still have the same thing, same love and happiness."
Faried is one of several pro athletes who have become vocal supporters for marriage equality in the past year. Sports starts including Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo and Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluew made headlines for their outspoken support.
Ayanbadejo, who will be in this year's Super Bowl, told the New York Times that he wants to use the sporting event as a platform to promote marriage equality.
"It's one of those times when you're really passionate and in your zone. And I got to thinking about all kinds of things, and I thought: how can we get our message out there," Ayanbadejo told Frank Bruni, a gay columnist for the New York Times who often writes on LGBT issues.
Watch Faried's YouTube clip below: