Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk has
come out against gay marriage, saying it would negatively affect his
children.
Birk made his comments in an editorial
published Sunday in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
“Same-sex unions may not affect my
marriage specifically, but it will affect my children – the next
generation,” Birk wrote. “Ideas have consequences, and laws
shape culture. Marriage redefinition will affect the broader
well-being of children and the welfare of society. As a Christian
and a citizen, I am compelled to care about both.”
The 36-year-old Birk
added that a gay marriage ban “is not meant as an offense to
any person or group.”
“All people should be afforded their
inalienable American freedoms. There is no opposition between
providing basic human rights to everyone and preserving marriage as
the sacred union of one man and one woman.”
Birk, a St. Paul native, played a
decade for the Minnesota Vikings. He is the latest NFL player to
weigh in on the issue. Minnesota
Vikings punter Chris Kluwe and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon
Ayanbadejo have both spoken up in support of marriage rights for
gay couples.
On November 6, Minnesota voters will
decide whether to approve a constitutional amendment which would
define marriage as a heterosexual union, while Marylanders will
decide whether to uphold a marriage equality law approved by
lawmakers.