New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been laying low since being exposed as a bigot earlier this week. Meanwhile, his fans are in a collective panic.
It all started when Brees appeared in a video for the antigay hate group Focus on the Family to promote “Bring Your Bible to School Day.”
“I want to encourage you to live out your faith on Bring Your Bible To School Day and share God’s love with friends,” he says in the video, which began making the rounds on social media last weekend.
https://www.facebook.com/focusonthefamily/videos/706558649808342/
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Shortly after that, it was revealed Brees has working with the organization since 2010 and was even profiled on the hate group’s official blog in 2015.
Focus on the Family opposes same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples. It also supports gay conversion therapy and religious freedom laws, believes trans people are deranged, says anti-bullying groups promote homosexuality, and has lobbied for legislation allowing antigay workplace discrimination.
Adding a layer of awkwardness to the whole situation, Brees is a longtime friend of Ellen Degeneres and once filmed an anti-bullying PSA for her in 2010. He also appeared in an It Gets Better video.
The responses from football fans have been all over the place.
Many people are outraged by the whole thing…
Drew Brees a white man from Austin Texas who wear Wranglers and y’all shocked he don’t like LGBT people
— Young Bakugo ? ? (@feedmeok) September 3, 2019
I can’t believe that y’all are surprised out Drew Brees being attached to a religious extremist group. Have you not been paying attention? Dude has been problematic. Throwing TDs doesn’t make you a good person. Even doing some good things doesn’t make you a good person.
— David M. Grubb (@DMGrubb) September 3, 2019
Several outlets reach out to @drewbrees to ask why he would do a PSA for a known racist discriminatory religious cult. He hasn’t replied. Mainstream media ignored it, but had lot to say about Chappelle jokes, but I digress https://t.co/gywLbmicRb
— Robert Littal (@BSO) September 4, 2019
Turns out, @drewbrees has his own profile on their website and has even done a previous interview with them.
Drew Brees, why are you supporting and have been supporting anti-LGBT organizations? pic.twitter.com/SCOq42d5dQ
— Norman F-cking Rougarou! (@CaleGuidry) September 2, 2019
Drew Brees actually sells a supplement for AdvoCare that can make you ungay.
— Dexter’s Library (@Dexters_Library) September 3, 2019
Drew Brees partners with wildly homophobic and anti-choice organization. Im sure the “stick to sports” crowd just missed it though. pic.twitter.com/U19NdfzF3V
— meg fenway (@megfenway) September 3, 2019
Others seem to be in denial about it…
I really hope Drew Brees wasn’t knowingly promoting an anti-LGBT group. He is a hero to so many and I never would have thought he was a bigoted man #SaintsDontHate #IsitTrueDrew
— SwankBones (@Swank_Bones) September 3, 2019
The Drew Brees commercial makes me so sad. Not sure how to deal with this.
— Seth Galina (@SethGalina) September 5, 2019
Unpopular opinion. Athletes aren’t under obligation to be hyper socially aware. Drew Brees likely knows nothing about Focus on the Family other than they’re a Christian group. all he endorsed the video encouraging kids to carry bibles. This is on his publicist.Don’t come for Drew
— Paul Givens (@PaulGivens13) September 3, 2019
@drewbrees Please tell me you don’t support an anti-USA company that doesn’t believe in equal rights for all Americans? 🙁 https://t.co/52PbOoq5aD
— Lovebacon33 (@Lovebacon33) September 5, 2019
I want to pretend I don’t know this while simultaneously never forgetting it. Unfortunately it’s not the first red flag that he isn’t as wholesome and great as most would like to believe. Great QB? Yes. Great guy? Not so sure.
— Rayna (@MomsNotAll) September 2, 2019
And then there are those who are standing by their golden boy no matter what…
I never cared much for Drew Brees until now. This shows he is willing to take a stand for what he believes. It makes no difference what man calls him. God’s view of him is the only lasting thing that matters. Thumbs up to Drew Brees.
— Hoyle Dabbs (@HoyleWDabbs) September 3, 2019
@drewbrees @drewbrees when is Americans going stand up against the attacking of christen faith #standstrong #bringyourbible to school day
— LDillon (@Bullseydfw) September 5, 2019
The Drew Brees news makes me like him even more
— Andrew Wildt (@WildtAndrew) September 5, 2019
So they want to cancel Drew Brees because he recorded a video produced by Focus on the Family? Are these petty simple people serious?
— Laveda Glover (@AlligatorPurse) September 5, 2019
I Am Atheist AF – & I support #DrewBrees ? % #StandForWhatYouBelieve you people are so Hate Filled yourselves it’s unreal, oh if it’s all pro-gay it’s OKAY -But people who decide to live the tradition Christian Life – People bash them, WHY? Oh yes because It’s Not Your Way eh ??
— Puppet Master (@YupItsMe00) September 5, 2019
Remember @drewbrees the voices shouting at you are a small, loud and disproportionately influential minority.
You are supported by millions of people who genuinely appreciate your strength, faith and courage.
— Chad Felix Greene (@chadfelixg) September 5, 2019
Neither Brees nor the New Orleans Saints have issued any comment in response to the controversy.
Meanwhile, in other news, Colin Kaepernick is still blacklisted from the NFL.
Related: NFL star Drew Brees partners with Focus on the Family to promote hate
Max
family values don’t include hate.
MalachiMoore1570
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JaredMacBride
How was he exposed s being a bigot? I agree he shouldn’t have done it, and we all know Focus on Family is a seedy bunch, but there’s not one word in anything he said which aligns him with their views about gay, lesbian and bisexual people.
Chrisk
Even if you didn’t know anything all you had to do is check out their Wikipedia page. He’s been a member for a decade. Trying to belittle his part is just being dishonest.
“Focus on the Family’s stated mission is “nurturing and defending the God-ordained institution of the family and promoting biblical truths worldwide”.[5]It opposes abortion; divorce; gambling; LGBT rights, particularly LGBT adoption and same-sex marriage”
Brian
That’s too nuanced for Queerty. None of any of this has anything to do with gay people, other than the organization it’s attached to, which he’s apparently been part of for many years.
I’m more concerned about promoting the idea of recruiting kids to start preaching religion to their classmates. Yet Queerty just glossed right over that part.
Chrisk
I find it funny that both the videos are at odds with one another. The it gets better vs get other kids to join the cult. We all know when they join the cult who their targets are going to be. Especially with a hate group attached to it.
Brian
I don’t think they’re at odds with each other at all. Just because he’s associated with the organization doesn’t mean he’s in lockstep with all of their thinking. Christianity isn’t Scientology, it’s very common for people to have different beliefs within the same church. Here can be both pro gay and pro child preacher.
JaredMacBride
I was a member of the Democrat party when the official party line was to support the Defense of Marriage Act, which was bigoted, unnecessary and probably unconstitutional. Just because someone is a member of a group does not mean he/she supports everything that group espouses.
Kangol2
@JaredMacBride, so you were a member of no party when the Defense of Marriage Act was supposed to be the party line, because there is no “Democrat [sic] party. It’s the Democratic Party, and the Democratic Party did NOT EVER officially support the Defense of Marriage Act. Although the Republican Party endorsed DOMA in 1996, at no point did the Democratic Party do so, even though a majority of (cowardly) Democrats in the House and Senate did vote for it, and President Bill Clinton did sign it, noting that Congress’s vote was enough to override a veto from him.
Brian
Kangol, if your rebuttal is just to parse somebody’s words, it means you don’t have an actual point. You know exactly what he’s talking about, and it’s true. There was plenty of Democratic support for DOMA, and that they voted for it makes it official enough.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provideth not for his own, and specially his own household, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever
That’s for the vile abhorrent pukes who toss their children into the streets for being Gay…
more fun stuff if your children talk back to you if your wife is not a virgin on your wedding night if your mother’s wears gold they all should be put to death..
These noxious smcubags cherry pick up Sakura versus from that vile closet case Leviticus to “justify” their hatred for gays
I take solace in the fact of knowing that those vile smcubags from focus in the family who consider themselves good Christians are all destined to spend eternity writhing in agony in Hell for the vile way they have lived their miserable lives
jcoberkrom
Drew dear, closets are for clothes!
Aires the Ram
I don’t agree with him, and don’t even like him, based on interviews he’s done, BUT, the 1st Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America applies to him, as well as you. If YOU didn’t have 1st Amendment rights, you and I would not be able to get on this website, and others, and post our opinions.
Remember that when you think someones rights should be taken away just because they say something you don’t like. Just remember, There’s NOTHING in the Constitution, that says you have a RIGHT to NOT be offended. Nothing.
If you don’t know what the Constitution of the United States of America is, because you’ve been screwed by a public school system, you can obtain a FREE COPY and read it for yourself.
Just write, yes, WRITE, that means a piece of paper, an envelope and a USPS stamp, write to:
ACLU
125 Broad St., 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004-2400
Ask them for a free copy of: “The Constitution of the United States of America”.
They will mail it to you for FREE. Do it, then read it, you just might learn something that your public school so-called education failed to teach you.
MikeM
Where has anyone said he doesn’t have the right to state what he has stated? He does. And people have the right to be offended by what he says and choose to account him for it or challenge him for what he stands for. That’s also in the first amendment. I learned that in public school. And I taught myself a lot because that’s what we should do and not rely on a public education to teach us everything we should know. We have a brain for a reason.
Brian
Isn’t it easier just to Google a copy?
Kangol2
@AirestheRam, Since you are urging people to read the US Constitution, have you done so yourself? You mention First Amendment rights, which are:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Do you understand what that means? CONGRESS, i.e., the Federal Government:
1) can pass no laws to establish a religion (so no theocracy, like many Talibangelicals want) or prevent people from practicing their faith; and
2) can pass no laws to curtail the freedom of speech, or of our press, so we have every right to criticize him, and a corporation he works for may fire him, or fire us for protesting him, but the Federal government cannot abridge our speech about the hateful organization he supports or him or that of the press about him, though historically they have done so many times;
3) and finally, cannot prevent us from “peaceably” assembling, which is to say, publicly protesting the government’s actions, and requesting that the government address our grievances about its laws and actions. Of course more than once the US government and state governments have violently suppressed peaceable assembly, and ignored our grievances, as it did for years with public protests against legalized racial segregation.
We can criticize this homophobic organization and anyone, like Drew Brees, linked to it, all we want. We can boycott them, and him, and put him out of business through our speech. The First Amendment says that the federal government cannot prevent us by law from doing so.
Aires the Ram
@Kangoi2: Nice try attempting to disparage someone you don’t agree with (me), by suggesting that my quotes about the Constitution are not backed up by my having any real knowledge of the Constitution, i.e.-having read it myself.
I have a copy of the Constitution right next to my computer, and I have read it in its entirety, and I often reference and re-read parts of it. So nice try, better luck next time.
TheMarc
Should he have known of Focus on the Family’s longstanding and very public anti-gay record? Probably. Is he bigot for working? Probably not. People are so fast to slap a label on others these days. I’ve never known him to say or participate in any initiative that is definitively anti-gay. Again, he should have done his homework, so a portion of this reaction is justified. But I don’t believe he deserves the label of bigot or homophobe or anti-gay.
Brian
I’m sure he is well aware of their stance. I think his position is similar to when we vote for politicians who have some stances that we don’t agree with, but overall seem like the best choice. Sometimes you just have to look past or ignore things for the greater good.
Who knows, maybe he thinks he can quietly influence them a little bit. If he did an It Gets Better video while he was already associated with them, isn’t that a pretty strong statement to the organization and good role modeling for it’s members? Rather than condemning him, maybe we should be appreciative that we have someone on the inside trying to give them a different perspective? That’s certainly going to be more effective than having him be this week’s Scarlet Letter recipient.
UlfRaynor
He can also be a card carrying member of a well known anti-gay organization for ten years that he tacitly supports which re-enforces their bigotry.
mfreeze7777
I LOVE Focus On The Family! Have grown up listening to them! I’m sick of hearing that because they/anyone disagrees that they must be bigots or hate groups! That is one of the biggest lies EVER! I’m a proud Gay Christian! ?? The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ doesn’t hate on Gays btw! ???
Chrisk
Then you’re a complete dipshit. Anyone that works to fight against the civil rights of others is by definition a bigot and a hate group. They’re at least clear on this unlike you and the FB jock.
Man About Town
The project and the organization aside, what I find most repellent is the whole reason (as he’s now claiming) he did the video in the first place was to encourage kids to bring their bible to school on “Bring Your Bible to School Day”, like it’s his place to be telling other people’s children what they should be doing. Yet another example of a misguided buttwipe shoving his religious beliefs down numerous families’ collective throats.