YouTube Sunday: Empire State of Mind

Standing on the Side of Love

Google Chrome made headlines last week when it premiered its “It Gets Better” commercial during a new episode of Fox’s ‘Glee’. Support and praise for the lucrative primetime TV spot was almost universal. Almost.

A cameo from Toy Story’s Woody stole the show. A childhood favorite and star of Pixar’s billion-dollar Toy Story franchise, Woody’s kind words of support were a hallmark moment for a company who has been providing same-sex couple benefits for its employees since 1996.

A few are less than thrilled, and that includes Alan Chambers of the now-infamous Exodus International. “Children all over the world, including my two children are fans of ‘Toy Story,’ and to see a character like that endorsing something that at this point children have no need to know about, it’s disappointing,” he says.

But as those remaining few who oppose gay marriage continue to dig themselves into a deeper hole and devolve into something of a self-parody, their plan of attack has grown increasingly flimsy and transparent. Their efforts to enforce an archaic and regrettable point of view on a generation of youth who are growing up in a world that has increasingly and overwhelmingly embraced love is terminally ill.

But as some continue to be blinded by their own fear, more and more are choosing to stand on the side of love. Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo has for some time been very open and honest about his support for gay marriage, a rarity in the world or sports. Following in his footsteps is Sean Avery, a New York Rangers player in the hyper-masculine sport of hockey who recently teamed up with the Human Rights Campaign to support marriage equality in New York.

Such a willingness to publicly call for change has made Ayanbadejo and Avery easy targets within the sports culture. But Brendon, recently appearing on ESPN’s ‘Outside the Line,’ spoke about why he has decided to step up and speak out. “This issue is really dear to me, being that I’m bi-racial, African American. If you go back to the ’60s, this same issue was current but it was about interracial marriage. Now today, fast-forward to 2011, the issue is equality in marriage and allowing same-sex couples to marry and love each other,” he says. “So to me it’s the same thing, it’s a barbaric issue. I think it’s just time that society continues to evolve and advance and it’s time to treat everyone fairly. That’s something we haven’t done in this country, but we’re getting better as time goes on.

If you’re homosexual, lesbian, or gay, that’s the way God created you, so why should you be treated any different?”

Ayanbadejo went on to say that Obama in 2012 has the opportunity to “emancipate 30 million Americans.”

Brendon’s passion for equality may rile up some, but it will also help him become a trendsetter and pave the way for others – such as Avery – to follow. As openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson said, “It is not enough for good people — religious or otherwise — to simply be feeling more positive toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Tolerance and a live-and-let-live attitude beats discrimination and abuse by a mile. But it’s not enough. Tolerant people, especially tolerant religious people, need to get over their squeamishness about being vocal advocates and unapologetic supporters of LGBT people. It really is a matter of life and death, as we’ve seen.”

It’s time to stand on the side of love. I do. Do you?