OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo is delighted Marylanders voted in favor of same sex marriage.
Ayanbadejo said Wednesday, "It's like I woke up and it's Christmas."
Ayanbadejo spoke out in favor of same-sex marriage on several occasions, and Maryland voters agreed by a narrow margin.
Baltimore's locker room reflects society, so not all of Ayanbadejo's teammates shared his enthusiasm about the historic decision.
Safety Bernard Pollard says, "There are a lot of guys on this team that stand firmly behind what the Bible says - that a man marries a woman and a woman marries a man."
Before Tuesday, gays and lesbians had been granted the right to marry by courts and state legislatures, but proponents of gay marriage had been defeated at the polls in more than 30 states.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press