Football is a sport and anyone who is a great athlete and teammate should be able to compete regardless of their race, religious beliefs, or sexuality. So I was outraged when I found out that Jack Burkman, a lobbyist in Washington DC, is drafting a bill for Congress that would ban gay athletes from joining the NFL.

Burkman told the press that he started his crusade because college football star, Michael Sam, a defensive end for Missouri, came out as gay. Burkman doesn't want openly gay people to be in the NFL. I think it's just not right that someone would try to use his political influence to bring his hateful views into the NFL.

Burkman says he has support from Congress to bring this bill to a vote -- but if we speak out against this horrific idea, we can make sure political leaders know that the country is not behind hateful ideas like this one.

Please sign my petition to demand that Congress publicly announce its opposition to banning athletes from the NFL because of their sexual orientation. I think it's ridiculous that Burkman is pushing for this legislation. Banning LGBT people from any job only leads to bullying, assault, and a culture of fear.

Will you stand with Michael Sam too, by signing my petition? Let's show Congress that the American public doesn't want homophobia in the NFL.