July 31, 2014
Skateboarding Icon Tony Hawk Comes Out for Same-Sex Marriage
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Skateboarding icon Tony Hawk announced his support for same-sex marriage in a video clip for the Human Rights Campaign posted to the LGBT organization's YouTube channel Wednesday.
Hawk, 46, is the latest celebrity to join the HRC's Americans for Marriage Equality campaign - the last star to offer support was Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon. Her vide0 was posted last week.
"People ask me all the time, 'What advice do I have for kids who want to become pro-skaters?' I always say pretty much the same thing work hard and follow your heart," Hawk says in the video. "That's how I feel about marriage equality, we all deserve to follow our hearts."
He adds: "We all deserve to follow our hearts, and we need to continue working until every state recognizes marriage as an equal right."
The HRC's Charles Joughin commented about the athlete's video in a statement.
"Like most Americans, Tony Hawk knows that all families deserve to be treated with respect, dignity, and equality under the law," he said. "We are incredibly grateful to Tony for speaking out in favor of marriage equality, and lending his voice to HRC's fight for fairness nationwide."
Other celebrities who have participated in the campaign include Kristen Bell, Bryan Cranston, Stanley Tucci, Busy Philipps, Cybill Shepherd, Jason Mraz, Krysten Ritter, Matthew Morrison and many more.
According to the HRC, the Americans for Equality campaign "seeks to advance marriage equality nationwide and provide up-to-the-minute information for lawmakers, legal experts, media, and grassroots supporters... The campaign's video series will draw from a cadre of supportive professional athletes, film and music celebrities, and political and civic leaders speaking out in favor of marriage rights for same-sex couples nationwide."
Watch the Hawk's clip below: