Chris Kluwe is headed to West Hollywood Pride. The former NFL punter has been selected by the organization as the honoree of its Ally Icon award, given every year to an ally of the LGBTQ community who has gone above and beyond in their support of gay, lesbian, bi and trans people.
It’s a bit of a homecoming, as Kluwe played college football for hometown UCLA, literally right down Sunset Blvd. from West Hollywood. Though he doesn’t have to come very far — Kluwe lives in Orange County.
“I am incredibly honored to be recognized as an Icon by the West Hollywood community,” Kluwe said in a statement. “As a cis-het white dude, I challenge others like myself to join me in fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights, because a system that only benefits people like me is an unjust, un-American system that I refuse to abide by. True freedom requires us to stand with, and for, each other….”
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Chris Kluwe was a champion of gay rights in the NFL
When Kluwe was a player with the Vikings, he spoke loudly in favor of gay marriage. He and Brendan Ayanbadejo, then a player with the Baltimore Ravens, became the faces of male pro athletes standing up for the right of gay couples to marry.
Kluwe later accused Vikings special teams coach Mike Prieffer of homophobia, alleging the coach once talked about taking all of the gays onto and island and dropping nuclear bombs on them.
Kluwe sued the Vikings or discrimination, and the parties settled after an investigation corroborated at least some of what Kluwe said. Prieffer was suspended for the start of the next season. He now coaches with Bill Belichick at the University of North Carolina.
Most recently, Kluwe was handcuffed by police after a act of civil disobedience in defiance of a conservative push in Huntington Beach that would have seen a political message emblazoned on a public library.
West Hollywood Pride is the largest Pride celebration in Southern California. It was created when LA Pride chose to move their parade and festival to another area of Los Angeles.
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