Organizers and supporters suspect this year’s Minneapolis Pride Parade may be the best-attended ever.
Former Vikings Punter Chris Kluwe will hold a special place of honor as the annual parade, traditionally one of the largest in the nation, makes its way down Hennepin Avenue. The former Vikings punter is back in Minnesota to be this year’s grand marshal. Now with the Oakland Raiders, Kluwe became an outspoken ally to the GLBT community during last year’s vote on a Constitutional amendment that would have banned gay marriage. The measure failed.
Kluwe told WCCO that he has become a GLBT activist almost by accident. He told the station that he simply felt the urge to speak out on what he thinks is right.
“To me, it gets down to the society I want to live in is one where people are free to live their own life. In order for me to be free to live my life, other people have to be free to live their lives,” Kluwe said.
Kluwe said he’s glad the Supreme Court struck down California’s law banning same-sex marriage and the Defense of Marriage Act. But Kluwe says he wishes the justices would have made a more sweeping decision to bring equality to all states.
Earlier this year, Kluwe was released by the Vikings after 8 years.
