David Tyree was quoted on Thursday as
saying he would support an openly gay player in the NFL.
The New York Giants was criticized this
week for hiring Tyree as the team's next direct of player
development.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
objected to Tyree over anti-gay remarks he made during the lead up to
passage of New York's marriage equality law.
In a video for the National
Organization for Marriage (NOM), Tyree said marriage equality would
lead to “anarchy,” and in tweets to followers, he insisted that
being gay is a choice.
On Friday, NOM defended Tyree, saying
he should “be as able to voice his values as anyone else in our country
without having to fear reprisals and discrimination.”
(Related: NOM
mum on Florida, Colorado gay marriage rulings; worries about Tony
Dungy, David Tyree.)
Out former NFL player Wade Davis wrote
about meeting Tyree, saying he believes he's “evolving. Just
as my mother did. Just as some of our most well-known supporters
did. Just as I did.”
“I think he feels badly about the
stuff he said three years ago,” Davis said.
“My interactions with Wade over the
past few months are much more representative of my current beliefs
toward the gay community than some tweets from several years ago,”
Tyree is quoted as saying. “Christianity teaches us love,
compassion, and respect for our fellow man, and it is in that light
that I will continue to work with Wade and others to better serve the
gay community. I would absolutely support any player on the Giants
who identified as gay, in any way I could. And I will continue to
stay in touch with Wade to ensure I am aware of the right ways to do
that.”