Chris Kluwe Discusses Speculation On Aaron Rodgers’ Sexuality And Boycotting Sochi Olympics

In his first interview since his bombshell of a tell-all nearly blew up the internet this week, former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe stands firm on his claim that antigay bigotry against his pro-gay rights advocacy led to his being canned in May 2013. The 32-year-old, who is currently a free agent, explains to website Vocative why he waited until this week to go into such explicit detail surround his dismissal.

It was a story I definitely knew I wanted to tell. I wrote the majority of it in April because I wanted to make sure everything was fresh in my mind and written down. I wanted to make sure to wait until after the season was done, because dropping something like this on my teammates would not allow them to focus on their season…and I wanted to see if I could still make it in the NFL. Unfortunately, there’s only so many times I can go out and punt the ball 55 yards outside the numbers. There probably isn’t room for me in the NFL anymore.

Kluwe also offers his opinion on Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who denied rumors that he is gay by insisting that he really, really likes the ladies.

I heard about it. He had to go on the website to defend himself. There were claims his personal assistant was his gay lover. I think that it’s unfortunate that we’re at a spot in society that this is something—that someone’s sexuality is a story, or someone’s advocacy for same-sex rights is a story.

And in case you’re wondering how Kluwe feels about holding the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia where gay people are still facing horrific abuse under the country’s barbaric antigay laws, he sheds some light in the interview.

I think it should be boycotted because it’s a violation of Principle 6 of the IOC [International Olympic Committee] charter. The fact that the IOC is continuing to allow Russia to host shows what the Olympics have become. It’s all about money.

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I think it could cause enough economic damage. It may not cause enough now but if people keep making these stances clear. It’s very much a young generation versus older generation issue. Twenty years from now, these people that you’re pissing off are going to be your customers still, and they’re going to be telling their children. It’s 2014, they need to move on, otherwise they’re going to be left behind. And you can see that happening right now. Look at all the polls that very clearly show the issue of same-sex rights is older people versus younger people.