Footballers Scoring With Us For Supporting Gay Marriage & Planned Parenthood

PRO-CHOICE: In response to growing controversy over CBS’s decision to allow an anti-choice ad sponsored by Focus on the Family to air at the Super Bowl, Planned Parenthood has released their own video, starring former professional football player Sean James and gold medalist Al Joyner. Jezebel says: “Nearly 100 million people usually watch the Super Bowl; this new (and excellent) Planned Parenthood video response to the Tebow ad so far clocks in at under 500 views. Let’s hasten that new media revolution, shall we?”:

[Also the Huffington Post has the Top Ten Banned Super Bowl Ads]

FOOTBALL: The Advocate talks to New Orleans Saints Linebacker Scott Fujita about his support for gay marriage rights and excitement for Sunday’s game:

So far, it’s been you and Brendan Ayanbadejo who have been vocal proponents of gay marriage. Do you think there will be a third player anytime soon to express the same sentiments?
I thought what Brendan wrote was incredibly insightful, thought-provoking, and completely on point. And many people would call it courageous. But if Brendan’s like me, I don’t know if he’d consider what we’ve done all that courageous. We have strong feelings about equal rights, and to me, expressing those feelings isn’t courageous, it’s the right thing to do.

I think there will be a third player who expresses support for gay marriage… and a fourth player, and a fifth, and so on. All it will take is someone who asks more guys their opinion. By and large, the business of football is still pretty 1950s, where the status quo and conformity to the principles of “just shut up and play football” are intact. But the athletes themselves are more than that. We’re more than just football players, and many of us are much more open and tolerant than we get credit for.

MCCAIN: John McCain: Cranky Old Jerk Who Hates Gay People. (@gawker)

GROPING: I Wanted Him to Feel Physical Pain: The Revenge Fantasies of Groping Victims: how women fight back when “even the most low-contact public groping incidents assault the nervous system.” (@washington city paper)

HOT: The Daily Beast loves doing totally bizarre studies with weird sample sizes and then making big desicions, like declaring which state is the best looking. (@the daily beast)

TALL: Maybe you’re straight girl friends will admit to refusing boys shorter than them, but are gay ladies heightest too? (@velvetpark)

HOT MOMS: Check out BBC’s new show I’m Hotter Than My Daughter. If that’s too upsetting for you, just watch the Bing commercial. (@jezebel)

HAIR: What Does It Mean To Be Black And Blonde?: This problem of only having one standard of beauty—which is blond hair, blue eyes, and white skin—has gone on far too long. It’s high time women liberate their own selves and redefine beauty. That is, there are MANY standards of beauty. (@jezebel)

COOKIES: Girl Scout Cookies Mania: They’re like, “OMG TAGALONGS SO GOOD WANT THEM IN MY MOUTH RIGHT NOW!” And if you’re like, “You know you can get basically the same things at the grocery store any time you want, right?” they’re like, “NOT THE SAME, HEATHEN.” (@salon)


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Laura

Laura is a tiny girl who wishes she were a superhero. She likes talking to her grandma on the phone and making things with her hands. Strengths include an impressive knowledge of Harry Potter, the ability to apply sociology to everything under the sun, and a knack for haggling for groceries in Spanish. Weaknesses: Chick-fil-a, her triceps, girls in glasses, and the subjunctive mood. Follow the vagabond adventures of Laura and her bike on twitter [@laurrrrita].

Laura has written 308 articles for us.

18 Comments

  1. Yay for Ayanbadejo and Fujita. I think it’s especially good when athletes speak up- people can easily write famous actors off as Hollywood liberals. But sports heros have a unique place to challenge perceptions- no one is going to accuse one of these guys of not being manly because they support equality. They will have their opinion brought to an audience who might otherwise not listen, thanks guys!

    And I thought the Planned Parenthood ad was very well done.

  2. omg this fix feels like it is especially for me, my best friend is gay and v. short and has complained about heightism HER ENTIRE LIFE. dear katherine if you are reading this megan has been talking about how much cooler and more attractive short people are since like the seventh grade. just fyi.

  3. People can pretend that this black and blonde thing has nothing to do with racial complexes but it does. And it does send a bad message to little girls who see all the famous blonde black women. It reminds me of The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. In our community, even black girls who just simply have lighter complexions are subconsciously considered to be prettier, I even do it! There’s more post-traumatic slave disorder than people are willing to recognize.

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