Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Rashad Evans has announced his support for marriage equality, signing onto the amicus brief filed by NFL players Chris Kluwe and Brendan Ayanbadejo in the Supreme Court case that will decide the fate of Proposition 8 and DOMA. Evans is currently the third-ranked light heavyweight fighter in the world.
The world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has been all over LGBT headlines lately, first with Liz Carmouche, then with Fallon Fox, and now this story.
In a statement, Evans said:
“I've never been a homophobe, never understood what that is all about. I knew some people who were gay and never cared about their sexuality. But at the same time I didn't fully understand the issues around gay people until my friend BA started telling me about his full public support for gay marriage. We talked about the issue and I decided its not enough to not be against a minority, if you want things to go better for them you have to speak up with them.
“I'm a UFC fighter, a macho type sport. I am a heterosexual guy in a tough macho sport, which is exactly the reason I feel a duty to say I support gay marriage and gay rights.
“I have nothing to gain personally from supporting this issue, and that's the point. Society as a whole is better when there is equality, and I want to live in a country where everyone has the same rights because we all benefit from that.
“What people overlook is that is isn't a sex issue, its a love issue. There's no justifiable reason for trying to get in the way of two people who love each other.
“I have kids. I don't want them growing up in a society where they, or their friends, could be second class citizens based on which person they fall in love with or who they want to be happy with.”
GLAAD thanks Rashad Evans for standing up for marriage equality.