Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried became the first NBA player to join Athlete Ally, an organization devoted to fighting homophobia in sports.
“Becoming an Athlete Ally gives me the opportunity to spread a message of inclusiveness throughout the NBA and our country,†he said in a statement.
The move comes after the 23-year-old rookie declared his support for same-sex unions in an online video for advocacy group, OneColorado, while sitting beside his birth mom and her wife of six years, who raised Faried in his hometown Newark, New Jersey.
“I support civil unions…I really do support civil unions because the fact that it gives people, gays and lesbians, the right to make decisions on their own if they want to get married — and let them choose who they want to be with,†he said in the video.
Other athletes who join Faried in supporting Athlete Alley are Brendon Ayanbadejo of the Baltimore Ravens, Chris Kluwe of the Minnesota Vikings, Scott Fujita of the Cleveland Browns and Connor Barwin of the Houston Texans.