Vikings' Chris Kluwe Same-Sex Marriage Advocate
BANFIELD: He's an outspoken advocate for marriage equality and he also happens to be the kicker for the Minnesota Vikings. Here's CNN's Poppy Harlow with the story.</s>ANNOUNCER: Chris Kluwe kicking it away.</s>POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is the Chris Kluwe most football fans know. And this is the Minnesota Vikings' punter posing for a prominent gay magazine. (on camera): What is this fight about for you?</s>CHRIS KLUWE, MINNESOTA VIKINGS PUNTER & SAME-SEX ADVOCATE: To me, it's about equality and human right.</s>HARLOW (voice-over): Kluwe, who is not gay, isn't coming out. He's speaking out, loudly. (on camera): Where would you say this real passion to defend gay marriage came from?</s>KLUWE: Fact is that there are American citizens who pay taxes who serve in the military who defend the country who are not benefiting under the same legal protections and laws rest of us are. To me, that's flat-out discrimination. That's the same as segregation or suffrage.</s>HARLOW (voice-over): In a state divided over a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, Kluwe's taken his fight to blogs and Twitter.</s>KLUWE: I will defend to the death your right to say or do what you want as long as it does not oppress other people.</s>HARLOW: Fellow NFL players certainly don't all agree with him, but Kluwe says attitudes are changing.</s>KLUWE: I think there is a very much more tolerant atmosphere in the NFL now.</s>HARLOW (on camera): Is America ready for an openly gay NFL player?</s>KLUWE: I don't know. I think until -- until someone comes out, we never will know.</s>HARLOW: You've tweeted that you've like to debate any Minnesota politician on the same-sex marriage issue. I wonder, has any --</s>KLUWE: I'm waiting.</s>HARLOW: You're still waiting.</s>KLUWE: Still waiting.</s>HARLOW (voice-over): It's not just same-sex marriage that gets him riled up. Ask about other hot-button issues and he goes off.</s>KLUWE: Citizens United, that's a huge issue for me right now. Corporations are not people. Look at the current presidential race right now. We're spending over a billion dollars to determine who our president is going to be. And to me, that says that money has an overriding influence in our politics right now.</s>HARLOW (on camera): On taxes? You would be part of the 1 percent.</s>KLUWE: I am part of the 1 percent.</s>HARLOW: Would you pay higher taxes to help balance the budget?</s>KLUWE: I would, without question. As long as I have my couch and video games, I'm good to go.</s>HARLOW (voice-over): But don't bet on him running for office. He has zero interest. For now, this is his fight.</s>KLUWE: It shouldn't be news when someone speaks out for equality. It should be news when someone speaks out against equality.</s>HARLOW: He's not wild about either candidate, but says he'll vote for President Obama, calling him, the less terrible choice. He's not punting this election. Poppy Harlow, CNN, Eden Prairie, Minnesota.</s>BANFIELD: Do you remember the Obama Girl? Now, there is a Ryan Girl, and she's going viral online with a send up of Paul Ryan's "Time" magazine photo shoot. We'll show you the video in a moment.