NFL’s Chris Kluwe to serve as Grand Marshall at Twin Cities Pride

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe will be Grand Marshall for the 2013 Twin Cities Pride Parade this summer, organizers have announced.

Kluwe, a straight ally and outspoken supporter of marriage equality, has used his status as an NFL player to speak in favor of LGBT rights.

“To me, it’s not about being an athlete speaking out about gay marriage or equality. It’s about being a human being saying ‘It’s not acceptable that this huge population of individuals have any less rights than me because they are gay,'” Kluwe said in a statement.

“I am proud to stand with Twin Cities PRIDE as an ally with pride.”

“It has been incredibly inspiring to see Chris take such a solid and outspoken stance for gay marriage and GLBT support,” said Dot Belstler, Twin Cities Pride executive director.

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“His voice has provided hope, encouragement and excitement to a huge population of supporters in our community, and it is my honor to have him as a part of our celebration,” she said.

Twin Cities Pride is one of the largest pride events in the country, attracting more than 300,000 attendees annually.

This year’s event is June 30.