Ex-NFL Punter Says His Outspoken Pro-Gay Views Cost Him His Job

[Tx4obama]

Ex-NFL Punter Says His Outspoken Pro-Gay Views Cost Him His Job

Ex-Minnesota Vikings player Chris Kluwe claims in a Deadspin piece today that he was let go from the team because of his outspokenness on gay marriage. Kluwe got particular attention for an open letter he sent to a politician who was offended that anyone in the NFL would back gay marriage, explaining sarcastically that gays “won’t magically turn you into a lustful cockmonster.”

After sending that letter out, Kluwe explains that then-head coach Leslie Frazier warned him against continuing to speak out on gay marriage, despite Kluwe’s insistence that he felt it was the right thing to do. Frazier backed down, for the time being, when he heard Vikings owner Zygi Wilf liked what Kluwe was doing.

But special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer, as Kluwe explains, didn’t let it go so easily.

(He) would use homophobic language in my presence. He had not done so during minicamps or fall camp that year, nor had he done so during the 2011 season. He would ask me if I had written any letters defending “the gays” recently and denounce as disgusting the idea that two men would kiss, and he would constantly belittle or demean any idea of acceptance or tolerance.

-snip-

Full article here: http://www.mediaite.com/online/ex-nfl-punter-says-his-outspoken-pro-gay-views-cost-him-his-job/

[brewens]

1. Maybe, but if he's really a clutch punter, he'll be back. Just an average punter and I can easily

see that happening. They can draft another guy that just gets the job done. Since most NFL punters are of course just average, that shouldn't cost him his job and it certainly shouldn't get him blackballed from hooking on somewhere else.

[madville]

2. I tell everyone at work

to leave the politics and religion at home. It is inappropriate in the workplace, I don't care which side one is on, it can lead to problems.