New York Rangers star Sean Avery has become one of the few athletes to openly support gay marriage by appearing in a video for the New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign, The New York Times reported Saturday.
Avery, 31, an agitator on the ice who has been voted the "most hated" player in the NHL by the other players, told The Times he never worried what other athletes thought of him before and he wouldn't now.
"The places I've played and lived the longest have been in West Hollywood, when I played for the L.A. Kings, and when I moved to New York," Avery said. "I lived in Chelsea for the first four years. I certainly have been surrounded by the gay community. And living in New York and when you live in L.A., you certainly have a lot of gay friends."
Avery, who currently lives in downtown Manhattan, told The Times that he saw no reason why gay people should not be allowed to marry.
"I'm certainly open to it," he said. "Maybe I can help, and I jumped at this opportunity."
The 30-second video of Avery opens with him addressing the camera.
"I'm Sean Avery, and I'm a New Yorker for marriage equality. I treat everyone the way I expect to be treated, and that applies to marriage," he says.
He ends the video with the words, "Committed couples should be able to marry the person they love. Join me in supporting marriage equality."
The spot is one of a series organized by the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay rights organization.
The fashion-conscious Avery made headlines a few years ago by working as an intern for Vogue magazine in the offseason despite his hefty $4 million salary. He is also an investor in several NYC restaurants and has dated a string of models including Elisha Cuthbert and current flame, Hilary Rhoda.
By releasing the video, Avery is one of the few professional athletes to speak out on the issue of gay marriage.
He told The Times that he expected to be made fun of more on the ice having announced his support for gay marriage.
"People have been calling me names for 10 years just because I like to wear nice suits," he said. "It's going to take a lot to get me upset or to get under my skin. I'm OK."
