Drew Brees has been taking a lot of criticism this week after he appeared in a promotional video that he filmed for Bring Your Bible to School Day.
Bring Your Bible is an event organized and run by Focus on the Family, a Christian religious organization well-known for their anti-LGBTQ stance and their advocacy for what is known as “conversion therapy,” also called “reparative therapy.”
On Thursday, the New Orleans Saints quarterback did not address his long standing association with the group that dates back to 2010, but fired back at the articles that slandered his name.
“There’s been a lot of negativity spread about me in the LGBTQ community recently based upon an article that someone wrote with a very negative headline, that I think led people to believe that somehow I was aligned with an organization that was anti-LGBTQ and so on and so forth.
I’d like to set the record straight. I live by two very simple Christian fundamentals – and that is Love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul and love your neighbor as yourself. I think the first is very self-explanatory, the second one, Love Your Neighbor as Yourself, what does that mean? That means love all, respect all and accept all so that is actually how I live my life. That is what I try to do with my family, with my teammates, with the people in my community, with my friends – all people, no matter your race, your color, your religious preference, your sexual orientation, your political beliefs, it doesn’t matter.
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The fact that these rumors have been spread about me are completely untrue.
What I did, is I filmed a video recently that was encouraging kids to bring their Bibles to school for National Bring Your Bible to School Day. To be able to live out your faith with confidence and I even gave one of my favorite Bible verses. It was as simple as that, so I’m not sure why the negativity spread or why people tried to rope me into certain negativity. I do not support any groups that discriminate or that have their own agendas that are trying to promote inequality. So, hopefully that will set the record straight and we can all move on, because that’s not what I stand for. Have a good day.”
He was later asked by reporters if he was aware that the organization behind it was known for its anti-LGBTQ stance or discrimination of any kind.
“I was not aware of any of the things they said about them lobbying for anti-gay, any type of messaging for inequality of any type of hate-type related stuff. I was not aware of that at all.”
