Maryland's biggest same-sex marriage backer may be a Baltimore Ravens' special teams star.
And by big, we mean a chiseled 6-foot-1 and 228 pounds.
Linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo attended a reception last week celebrating the relocation of Equality Maryland to Baltimore from Silver Spring, the Washington Blade reported. That followed his April post supporting same-sex marriages on The Huffington Post.
Church and state are supposed to be separate, Ayanbadejo wrote, so God's definition of marriage shouldn't come into play. He also attacked the sanctity of marriage, arguing that if partying pop star Britney Spears is allowed her one-night-stand Vegas marriage, how does a man marrying another man, or a woman a woman, ruin the institution. And finally, he predicted that same-sex marriages will have their day, and some time in the future, people will look back on this debate with confusion and wonder.
Pro football players speaking out in support of gay marriages is rather rare, so this macho man's outspokenness could reach many who don't give the issue much thought, Equality interim Executive Director David Toth told the Blade.
Though Ayanbadejo hasn't cracked the Ravens' stellar starting linebacker rotation, he is coming off three straight Pro Bowl selections for his play covering kicks. In the 2008 season, he led the Ravens with a career-high 30 special teams tackles and a fumble recovery.
