Baltimore Ravens Player for Marriage Equality

As the Maryland house of delegates prepares for debate and a final vote on the marriage equality bill this week, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo has released a video voicing his support for the measure.

According to The Baltimore Sun, in the video from statewide advocacy group Equality Maryland, Ayanbadejo urges Marylanders to join him "in the land of the brave for standing on the side of love."

The NFL player says, "Having the freedom to marry means committed couples and their children will have the same crucial protections under the law as other families. Churches can always have their beliefs, but government is supposed to treat everybody the same, and that's equal. America is supposed to be the land of the free but in order for this to be true for all of us, then we must have the ability to marry whom we love regardless of their gender."

Two years ago, Ayanbadejo wrote an op-ed in support of marriage equality for The Huffington Post.

Watch the video.