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Kluwe quits Pioneer Press blog in response to pro-marriage amendment editorial

Kluwe quits Pioneer Press blog in response to pro-marriage amendment editorial

Minnesota Vikings punter and marriage equality advocate Chris Kluwe announced Saturday he would no longer blog for the St. Paul Pioneer-Press after the newspaper published an editorial on a proposed marriage amendment that Kluwe called an “obfuscation and selected presentation of arguments.”

Kluwe, whose “Out of Bounds” blog has occasionally brought six-figure page views, tweeted that he was very disappointed in the Pioneer-Press editorial, and that he would no longer contribute to their blog network.

Chris Kluwe

The Pioneer-Press is the first major newspaper in Minnesota to editorialize arguments in favor of the state’s proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marrige — the measure goes before voters on Tuesday.

Although the editorial states “The Pioneer Press is not endorsing one way or another,” it often argues the case for the marriage amendment:

“Perhaps the most telling argument for same-sex marriage is the “love is love” approach. But as persuasive as it is, the love is love argument brings the discussion back to what should be the definition marriage. Love may be love, but even now there are any number of prohibitions around marriage between consenting (heterosexual) adults. These prohibitions are intended to be in the interest of promoting the general welfare.

[…]

Supporters of traditional marriage are not wrong to point out that religious groups who have refused to make their facilities available for same-sex couples have lost their state tax exemption and that religious groups have been forced to close their charitable adoption agencies as a result of having to choose between fulfilling their social mission and acquiescing to a new definition of marriage. And that whenever schools educate children about marriage they will have no choice but to teach it as a genderless institution.”

Kluwe — whose status as a straight ally gained national attention in September when he posted an open letter on the website Deadspin criticizing a Maryland state lawmaker who demanded that the Baltimore Ravens silence linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo for publicly advocating in favor of same-sex marriage — has frequently used his blog to comment in favor of marriage equality and LGBT rights.

“You can say you’re not taking a side one way or the other all you want, but if you print that in the editorial section you just took a side,” Kluwe wrote on Twitter.

“My main issue with the Pioneer Press editorial is this: It’s a lie. I have no problem with them taking a position I disagree with. What concerns me is them presenting a completely biased piece (word choice, examples used, conclusions) as a neutral position. That’s not only irresponsible journalism, it’s massively hypocritical,” Kluwe wrote in a series of tweets.

“Don’t try to confuse people through obfuscation and selected presentation of arguments. It ruins discussion, and you should be ashamed.

“I will not be associated with any organization that tries to pull some bullshit like that,” he said.

Kluwe recently appeared in a video for Minnesotans United for All Families, the official campaign working to defeat the proposed constitutional ban.

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