The Portland Trail Blazers have
endorsed an effort to legalize gay marriage in Oregon, becoming the
first NBA team to endorse marriage equality.
“The Portland Trail Blazers are in
support of the Freedom to Marry and Religious Protection ballot
initiative,” the team said in a statement. “We do so as
believers in individual choice as a fundamental right of all people.”
Oregon United for Marriage began
collecting signatures in August for a ballot question that would
repeal Oregon's 2004 ban and allow gay couples to marry in the state.
If the measure is approved next year, Oregon would make history as
the first state to repeal a constitutional amendment limiting
marriage to heterosexual couples.
Last week, the
Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns endorsed the initiative.
(Related: Lawsuit
challenges constitutionality of Oregon's gay marriage ban.)