NFL coach denies ‘bigot’ allegations: I have gay family members who I love

The coach of an NFL player who yesterday posted an article calling him a “bigot”, has strongly denied that he is anti-gay.

Chris Kluwe, a former punter for the Minnesota Vikings, on Thursday published an article on Deadspin, in which he said he was “pretty confident” that his sacking came off the back of his equal marriage support.

In the article he said Mike Priefer, special teams coordinator was a “bigot”, and that he voiced extreme anti-gay views while Kluwe was at the team.

“As we sat down in our chairs,” Kluwe wrote of one meeting, “Mike Priefer, in one of the meanest voices I can ever recall hearing, said: ‘We should round up all the gays, send them to an island, and then nuke it until it glows.’”

Priefer has released a statement denying the claims.

In it he says: “I want to be clear that I do not tolerate discrimination of any type and am respectful of all individuals,

“I personally have gay family members who I love and support just as I do any family member.”

The Minnesota Vikings has also denied the claims made by Kluwe in the post.

• Nov 29 2023

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