Right On, Michael Irvin

I had never thought much about anything former Dallas Cowboy star receiver Michael Irvin had to say, prior to today. He seemed like one of a multitude of look-at-me-me-me athletes. But he's done something to completely change my mind about him. He is on the cover of Out Magazine, and discusses his coming to acceptance of his gay brother. One quote stands out like a cool breeze on this sweltering summer day:

Irvin now believes the African-American community should support marriage equality.

"I don't see how any African-American, with any inkling of history, can say that you don't have the right to live your life how you want to live your life," he said, according to the magazine. "No one should be telling you who you should love, no one should be telling you who you should be spending the rest of your life with. When we start talking about equality, and everybody being treated equally, I don't want to know an African-American who will say everybody doesn't deserve equality."

I have been repeatedly shocked at how one oppressed minority group can routinely oppress another minority group. This is an excellent statement by Irvin- one that comes at a time where 'gay' has repeatedly been used as a put-down by athletes in recent days.