NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees on Thursday defended his participation in a video that was released by the religious organization Focus on the Family, a group that is widely recognized as anti-LGBTQ.

Focus on the Family has, among other things, promoted “conversion therapy,” a radical pseudoscientific practice that aims to change an LGBTQ person’s sexual orientation. Brees drew criticism in the days following the release of the video because of its connection to the organization.

Thursday, in front of his locker, Brees strongly defended himself. He released a video statement shortly before the Saints locker room opened to reporters, then spent several minutes answering questions in front of his locker.

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Brees took umbrage with what he considered to be a sensationalist headline, referencing a report in Big Easy Magazine that fell under the headline “Drew Brees records video for Anti-LGBTQ religious organization.” He began his media session by asking the reporters gathered around him who had seen the video if they thought it was a fair headline.

“In the video, is there any mention of any group outside of just talking about National Bring Your Bible to School Day? … No there wasn’t,” Brees said. “It’s not written anywhere on it. I don’t say anything about it. The only thing I was promoting was encouraging kids to bring their Bibles to school National Bring Your Bible to School Day, to live out your faith with confidence, and I gave my favorite Bible verse.

“So we can sit here and say that’s not a very fair headline — that headline was not representative of what that video was about at all. Am I right in saying that? I think that’s fair. … Why would you post a headline like that? Why? Why would you post a headline like that when that’s not what the video had anything to do about?”

The video, which does not explicitly mention Focus on the Family, starts with Brees bringing up his favorite Bible verse. He goes on to encourage children to participate in National Bring Your Bible to School Day.

“I want to encourage you to live out your faith on Bring Your Bible to School Day, and share God’s love with friends. You’re not alone,” Brees said in 23-second video clip.

The criticism levied at Brees in the aftermath appeared to have little to do with the message, but with the organization it was tied to. A link at the bottom of the video directs viewers to bringyourbible.org, a website published by Focus on the Family.

Brees said afterward he did not have prior knowledge of Focus on the Family’s anti-LGBTQ history.

“I was not aware any of the things they said about them lobbying for anti-gay (causes) … any type of messaging or inequality or any type of hate type related stuff I was not aware of that at all,” Brees said. “And again the video itself was just focused on National Bring Your Bible to School Day. It was not promoting any group. Certainly not promoting any group that is associated with that type of behavior.

“Because I know that there are, unfortunately, Christian organizations out there that are involved in that kind of thing and to me that is totally against what being a Christian is all about. Being a Christian is love, it's forgiveness, it’s respecting all, it’s accepting all.”