Kirk Cousins, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback who on the time was the injured beginning quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, appeared in a prolonged video in 2023 speaking about his journey as a Christian and expressing help for Focus On The Household, a corporation that’s rabidly anti-LGBTQ.
Focus On The Household is well-funded and opposes homosexual marriage, helps “skilled remedy” on problems with orientation, in addition to refusing to acknowledge transgender folks, amongst different points.
Cousins engaged in a public dialog with Ken Windebank, Chief Working Officer for Focus On The Household, in regard to his religion and his dedication to marriage, in addition to different matters.
Cousins’ feedback didn’t particularly in-the-moment condemn transgender folks or same-sex marriage, although his reward for the group’s teachings (which embrace very clear anti-LGBTQ coverage) and different feedback depart room for questions that he refused to reply this week.
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Each the Vikings — his crew on the time — and Cousins declined to reply Outsports’ questions for this story.
The Vikings, for his or her half, have established themselves as one of the outwardly LGBTQ-inclusive groups within the NFL, with at the least one publicly out worker, and numerous initiatives designed to explicitly help the LGBTQ group, together with participation in Pleasure, a partnership with the native LGBTQ flag soccer league and different initiatives.
It’s arduous to say the place the Falcons stand on LGBTQ inclusion, as there’s little or no info.
What’s Focus On The Household?
Focus On The Household is without doubt one of the most distinguished anti-LGBTQ organizations in America, and it has been for fairly a while.
The group approves of intercourse and marriage solely between a person and a lady.
The group additionally maintains that same-sex marriage is an anathema.
“Marriage is meant by God to be a thriving, lifelong relationship between a person and a lady enduring by way of trials, illness, monetary crises and emotional stresses,” Focus On The Household says on their web site. “Christians are known as to affirm and proclaim God’s marriage design and to minister in Christ’s title to those that undergo the results of its brokenness.”
Cousins affirmed his devotion to Christian teachings, even discussing his personal marriage, although he didn’t point out same-sex marriage particularly.
Associated
I’ve been with my husband for over 20 years.
In that point, our partnership has helped every of us endure struggles involving funds, romance, partnership, profession, love, friendship, communication and so many different parts of any relationship.
But Focus On The Household appears to say my marriage is all a fraud.
That’s the group that Cousins publicly helps.
Focus On The Household additionally appears to say transgender folks both don’t exist or are someway selecting to be who they’re.
“We consider God created people in His picture, deliberately and immutably female and male, every bringing distinctive and complementary qualities to sexuality and relationships.”
The group’s “Counseling for Sexual Identification Issues” facilities, for instance, the concept folks with “same-sex attraction” face a “concern.” It appears to say that homosexual, lesbian and bisexual individuals are “struggling,” all whereas speaking about “sin” and “private wrongdoing.”
Does Cousins assume that I’ve dedicated a “sin” by having intercourse with my husband? Am I “struggling”? Once more, we don’t know.
A number of years in the past, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees claimed he had no thought Focus On The Household was anti-LGBTQ when he publicly supported the group.
Hundreds of thousands of non-public {dollars}, an NFL crew infrastructure, in addition to an agent and presumably a supervisor seemingly didn’t inform Brees — and presumably Cousins — the anti-LGBTQ focus of the group.
Or perhaps they did, and Cousins simply didn’t care sufficient concerning the LGBTQ group.
A name to Focus On The Household
When Outsports known as Focus On The Household’s hotline this week, we have been advised by the individual on the hotline that repenting from a homosexual way of life was “an enormous first step of braveness,” and that “the satan desires to maintain you darkish and remoted.”
As a result of, in response to Focus On The Household, being homosexual is outwardly the work of “the satan.”
That is the group that Cousins publicly helps: My relationship with my husband of 20 years is akin to “the satan.”
Who’s Kirk Cousins?
Kirk Cousins was chosen within the fourth spherical of the 2012 NFL Draft by Washington. In 2018, the Vikings signed Cousins as their beginning quarterback. He discovered success with the Vikings, because the crew has completed at the least .500 in 4 of the 5 seasons with Cousins as a beginning quarterback.
He left the Vikings and signed with the Atlanta Falcons for the 2024 season. That was shortly earlier than the Falcons selected Michael Penix Jr., a quarterback from the College of Washington, within the first spherical of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Awkward!
He’s a four-time Professional Bowl participant and presently No. 24 in all-time passing yards within the NFL, and he ought to cross Johnny Unitas this season. That’s spectacular.
He additionally has a profitable document as a quarterback, although he’s began solely 4 NFL Playoff video games, posting a 1-3 document.
In faculty, he led the Michigan State Spartans to a few bowl video games in his three years as a starter, together with a Large Ten championship in 2010.
He’s presently on injured reserve with a torn Achilles tendon and never anticipated again on the sector till 2024.
What’s Kirk Cousins’ involvement with Focus On The Household?
Outsports was alerted to Cousins’ look with Focus On The Household by a Vikings fan.
“It doesn’t matter how innocuous the content material within the video is,” the Vikings fan advised Outsports. “Give attention to the Household has constantly pushed for abhorrent insurance policies and to enshrine their views into American legislation. For the Vikings’ franchise quarterback to companion with them is surprising, disappointing, and runs counter to the picture the Vikings have tried to challenge.
“It additionally runs counter to Cousins’ public picture, that of ‘all are welcome’. Give attention to the Household has constructed their political arm on attempting to drive folks they don’t approve of out of American society.”
Cousins appeared in a public half-hour dialog with Windebank, which you’ll be able to see in full right here:
“You need to belief god’s plan on your life,” Cousins says on the outset of the video.
The issue with Cousins’ assertion, on that stage with that group, is that his hosts very publicly reject homosexuality, same-sex marriage and transgender folks.
This isn’t the primary time Cousins has flirted with anti-LGBTQ doctrine. Cousins beforehand stated “No person’s excellent” when requested a few hypothetical homosexual teammate, saying he’d settle for that homosexual teammate. He added that he would attempt to educate the homosexual participant on what it means to observe Jesus, as a result of apparently in case you’re not doing it Cousins’ approach, you’re not doing it proper.
In fact, if Cousins was requested about supporting a straight, married teammate, he would by no means reply with “No person’s excellent.” By no means.
If Cousins appeared on stage with a corporation that opposed interracial marriage, you guess he and the Vikings can be keen to supply a press release, most certainly: “Kirk Cousins is not a member of the Minnesota Vikings.”
What different NFL personalities have supported anti-LGBTQ organizations?
Cousins just isn’t the primary NFL participant to publicly help an anti-LGBTQ Christian group, and he gained’t be the final.
Tony Dungy is the NFL godfather of anti-LGBTQ advocacy, because the Corridor Of Famer has raised cash to particularly help anti-gay teams and actions, and in 2023 was a large number.
Cousins can also be not the one present NFL participant outwardly supporting an anti-LGBTQ group. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance in 2021 supported Fellowship of Christian Athletes together with his My Trigger My Cleats. In 2022 it was Los Angeles Rams LB Christian Rozeboom. Each males have chosen different causes to help in 2023.
In 2020, three gamers supported the anti-LGBTQ Fellowship of Christian Athletes: Cody Davis, S, New England Patriots, Koda Martin, OL, Arizona Cardinals and Case Keenum, QB, Cleveland Browns.
What else did Cousins inform the Focus On The Household viewers?
Cousins’ feedback throughout his Focus On The Household look actually should be known as into query.
For instance:
“There are penalties to the alternatives you make in life. Good or dangerous. And in case you sow good stuff you’ll reap good issues. However in case you sow poor choices, you’ll reap poor choices.”
Does Cousins consider my relationship with my husband is only a dangerous “alternative”? Focus On The Household actually does.
Cousins additionally made this pertinent remark about immediately’s Western tradition diverging from what he believes are the teachings of his religion, referencing the teachings of one in every of his Focus On The Household mentors:
“He challenged us to know that that meant following Jesus, even when it value you one thing. So if tradition goes this fashion and Jesus went this fashion, even when it value you one thing. I’m going to be a completely devoted follower, even when it value me one thing. I’m going to belief him and construct my life on his reality.”
Outsports wished to ask Cousins if that “reality” denied marriage between two males or two girls, or the existence of trans folks, given the teachings of Focus On The Household and the trainer he referenced in that quote, Ray Vander Laan.
The place will we go from right here?
It’s not but attainable to determine if Cousins is unaware of the nationwide struggle by Focus On The Household towards LGBTQ equality, if he knew about it and simply doesn’t care, or if he knew about these teachings and anti-LGBTQ advocacy and actually embraces all of it.
These are actually the one three prospects, neither of which is nice.
For therefore many straight folks, the problems of the LGBTQ group merely aren’t top-of-mind. They aren’t educated on these points, and it’s attainable Cousins missed them.
Although, if he did miss them, it’s essential to ask the Vikings, the Falcons, the NFL league entrance workplace and the NFL Gamers Affiliation why they aren’t doing a greater job of constructing certain their gamers know what organizations have deeply anti-LGBTQ insurance policies and statements of religion.
When will skilled athletes within the NFL and different leagues cease selling anti-LGBTQ Christian teams, and as a substitute embrace our push for acceptance in sports activities? The hearts of a lot of them are there. We simply want extra athletes to step up and oppose homophobia and transphobia.
Till then, we’ll maintain declaring the Kirk Cousins of professional sports activities, who categorical love and help for organizations that reject and vilify my wonderful husband and me.