Gail Burton / AP

Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk (L) during drills at a July NFL football training camp. Birk recently spoke out against marriage equality.

Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk penned an op-ed this past weekend for the Minneapolis Star Tribune condemning same-sex marriage.

"I think it is important to set the record straight about what the marriage debate is and is not about, and to clarify that not all NFL players think redefining marriage is a good thing," Birk wrote.

His piece goes on to say that "marriage is in trouble right now" for many reasons, and America has a duty to "preserve and promote a healthy, authentic pro-marriage culture." 

Birk encouraged all Americans to engage in the debate over marriage equality with civility and respect, but added that he was against redefining marriage:

"Same-sex unions may not affect my marriage specifically, but it will affect my children—the next generation. Ideas have consequences, and laws shape culture. Marriage redefinition will affect that broader well-being of children and the welfare of society. As a Christian and a citizen, I am compelled to care about both."

He also adds that his choice to speak out against same-sex marriage is "not meant as an offense to any person or group" and that "there is no opposition between providing basic human rights to everyone and preserving marriage as the sacred union of one man and one woman."

Birk's piece comes on the heels of his teammate Brendon Ayanbadejo's outspoken support for marriage equality. Ayanbadejo has long been an advocate for marriage equality and was recently thrust into the spotlight when a Maryland State delegate sent a letter to Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti condemning the Ravens linebacker for making such a public endorsement. The delegate later backed down on his attacks and acknowledged Ayanbadejo's right to free speech.

Ayanbadejo told MSNBC's Thomas Roberts earlier this month that he'd received an overwhelming amount of support, including support from within the NFL community. In a vitriolic letter to the Maryland delegate who condemned Ayanbadejo and asked the Ravens to silence him, Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe wrote,

"You know what having these rights will make gays? Full-fledged American citizens just like everyone else, with the freedom to pursue happiness and all that entails. Do the civil-rights struggles of the past 200 years mean absolutely nothing to you?"

Kluwe also responded to Birk in the Pioneer Press on Monday in an open letter that addressed each of Birk's concerns. He criticized Birk's unwillingness to accept a redefinition of marriage and argued that marriage has already been redefined over the years:

"Marriage used to be one man and multiple women. Marriage used to be a way to exchange property between two families. Marriage used to be between brother and sister to keep the royal bloodline pure. Marriage used to be between children. Marriage used to be only for people that were the same skin color. Marriage used to be a lot of things, many of them oppressive towards women and minorities. I think I’d rather marriage be between two people that love each other and are committed to each other no matter what combination of fleshy bits are hanging off their bodies; not a reality TV show."

Kluwe also added that the only impact same-sex marriage would have on the next generation would be on those who are gay and cannot get married, and that he planned to commit himself to tearing down those barriers that stopped people from marrying the ones they love.

Maryland is one of the four states to vote this November on same-sex marriage. See Melissa's recent discussion about down-ballot issues after the jump.

Keith Srakocic / AP

People pass the signs telling of the requirement for voters to show an acceptable photo ID to vote as they head into the the Penndot Drivers License Center in Butler, Pa.

Editor's note: This is the second in a regular series of posts between now and Election Day, telling the stories of Americans who find themselves affected by voter ID laws and other roadblocks to voting. You can find the first post here.

A judge will rule by Tuesday on Pennsylvania's controversial voter ID law, which would bar Pennsylvanians from voting without a state-issued photo ID, and which is being challenged by voting-rights groups.

If the law is upheld, one person who may be unable to vote is Theresa Kukowski a 62-year-old Philadelphia resident and regular voter who suffers from multiple sclerosis. Last month, Kukowski testified in court about what she'd have to go through to exercise her right to vote.

I have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis for the past 16 years and am currently confined to a wheelchair. It is especially hard for [my husband] Richard to transfer me from my wheelchair into our 17-year-old minivan. I once had a Pennsylvania driver's license, but I stopped driving about five years ago, and my license has been expired for a few years. I don't have any other form of photo identification that I can present at the polls in November.

Our polling place is about 1 1/2 blocks away from our house. When we vote, my husband pushes me in my wheelchair from our house to the polling place. It takes about 5 minutes for us to get there.

I had heard something about the new voter identification law a while back, but I did not realize that I would be affected by the law until September 22, 2012, when I received a notice in mail about the new law.

Traveling to a PennDOT center to get an ID in the short amount of time before this November's election would be very difficult. The closest PennDOT center is on Oxford Avenue in Philadelphia, which is more than two miles away and too far for Richard to push me there in my wheelchair. If at all possible, I will try to have Richard take me in the car to the PennDOT before Election Day, but it would be very difficult--especially because we hear that there are long lines at the PennDOT center.

Voting is very meaningful to me. It is my voice about the future of this country. In particular, the issues of Medicare and Medicaid are important to me, because, without these programs, it would be impossible for Richard and me to make ends meet.

More testimony from voters affected by Pennsylvania's law can be found here.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo says he won't back down from his support for gay marriage in Maryland, or nationally, despite one politician's public attack on his position.

Maryland is one of the four states to vote on same-sex marriage in November.

Ayanbadejo said that he's received positive encouragement from fans and the community. "The overwhelming majority is for marriage equality and treating everybody fairly," he told Thomas Roberts on MSNBC Wednesday. "It's the right thing to do."

Last month, Maryland State Delegate Emmett C. Burns Jr. sent a letter to Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti condemning Ayanbadejo's position advocating for same-sex marriage. Burns said he found it "inconceivable" that the NFL player would make such a public endorsement:

"Many of my constituents and your football supporters are appalled and aghast that a member of the Ravens Football Team would step into this controversial divide and try to sway public opinion one way or the other. Many of your fans are opposed to such a view and feel it has no place in a sport that is strictly for pride, entertainment and excitement. I believe Mr. Ayanbadejo should concentrate on football and steer clear of dividing the fan base.

I am requesting that you take the necessary action, as a National Football Franchise Owner, to inhibit such expressions from your employee and that he be ordered to cease and desist such injurious actions."

Ayanbadejo tweeted that football was simply his job, and as an American, he has the right to free speech. Ravens officials told the Washington Post they received Burns' letter, but had no further comment.

The linebacker acknowledged that intolerance and homophobia was still an issue, but that the time was coming for things to change. "We're trying to make it safe," he said.

Burns, a fourth-term Democrat representing Baltimore County and the founder and pastor of Baltimore Rising Sun First Baptist Church, made headlines in May when he told CNN he would not vote for President Obama in November because of Obama's support for same-sex marriage. He urged other Democrats to do the same. Burns later took back his comments about the president, telling the news site AFRO, "I am supporting [the president], but I don't like his decision on same-sex marriage."

The Baltimore Sun reported last week that Burns is also walking back on his attacks on Ayanbadejo and the Baltimore Ravens, saying that both he and Ayanbadejo have the right to free speech.

Despite growing American support for gay marriage, Roberts noted on Wednesday that intolerance remains an issue in many areas of American life, including professional sports. 

Just last weekend, Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar was photographed with a homophobic slur stamped on his face during a game. Escobar has been suspended for three games and will donate his salary during his suspension to You Can Play and GLAAD.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in parks around New York City early Monday morning to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street.

Protesters, ranging from children to grandparents, met in four different "zones" surrounding the New York Stock Exchange to protest inequality and corporate greed. At Zuccotti Park, the original site of the Occupy camp, protesters met at 7 a.m. to discuss nonviolent action and resistance as many employees and executives began their work day.

"There is nothing negative about this," Sergio Uzurian, 26 from Buffalo, N.Y., said about the gathering. "This is for the people."

As the crowds gathered around lower Manhattan, groups of NYPD officers stationed themselves in front of banks and along the streets, and directed traffic and Wall St. employees around the protesters. Police set up barricades around Wall St. and the Stock Exchange, and only let people through who could show employee IDs. 

Organizers handed out maps in the morning of the various meeting places, but despite the pre-planned actions for the day, the morning was chaotic. NYPD set up barricades to keep protesters from crossing certain streets, and people were often separated from their zone groups as they sought new ways to access Wall St. 

Cops began arresting protesters just before 8 a.m. on Pine St., and arrests continued through the morning as protesters marched to Bowling Green park—the location of the iconic Charging Bull sculpture. The bull, which was under heavy police guard, has been off-limits to tourists since last year's Occupy protests.

Traci Lee | msnbc.com

Police officers block the Charging Bull sculpture at Bowling Green Park near Wall Street in New York City on September 17, 2012.

Many of the protesters participating in the Monday demonstrations have been a part of Occupy movements—from New York to Philadelphia to Hartford—since last fall. Daniel Valdes, 27, has been with Occupy since last year, and he believes the one-year anniversary events will re-energize the fight and bring attention to the dissatisfaction Americans feel about the government and politics. 

"The political system shut us out," Valdes said. "It's a circus at this point."

Also among the protesters were new faces to Occupy. Nineteen-year-old Joseph Califano, an economics student at Sarah Lawrence College, arrived at Monday's Occupy protest (his first) with a sign that read, "Why develop empathy, when you could be making $350,000+ a year running a Ponzi scheme?"

Traci Lee | msnbc.com

Two Occupy protesters don Obama and Romney masks in New York City during the one-year anniversary protest on September 17, 2012.

"I hope income inequality becomes a part of the national conversation," Califano said.

By the afternoon, NYPD reported nearly 150 arrests. Along with an increased police presence, National Lawyers Guild representatives and a large number of journalists were also among those present throughout the protest.

Events are planned through Monday night, when protesters plan to re-occupy Zuccotti Park. The protest wraps up a weekend of anniversary celebrations, but many protesters believe Occupy will continue to grow moving forward. 

"We have to keep going," Veterans for Peace's Crystal Zevon said. "I feel like I've lived my life, but I don't know that my grandsons will be able to live theirs if things don't change fast."

Evan Vucci/AP

Lawmakers and supporters look on as President Barack Obama signs "don't ask, don't tell" repeal legislation that would allow gays to serve openly in the military, Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010

It's been nearly one year since the Obama administration's repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," and a new study released today by the Palm Center shows that there has been no negative impact on the military or its readiness.

The Palm Center, a think tank that is part of the Williams Institute at the University of California Los Angeles School of Law, conducted interviews over the last six months with veterans, active-duty service members, and advocates who've both supported and opposed DADT and its repeal. The study, titled "One Year Out," found that the "repeal of DADT has had no overall negative impact on military readiness or its component dimensions, including cohesion, recruitment, retention, assaults, harassment or morale."

The study ultimately disproves many of the points argued by those who openly opposed the DADT repeal. Col. Dave Bedey, a retired senior member of the faculty at the United States Military Academy at West Point, told The Washington Post in 2010 that "the risk that open service by homosexuals poses to unit cohesion and, more importantly, to the stability of the larger military community that supports those units." Rep. Todd Akin, a Missouri Senate candidate now infamous for his comments on "legitimate rape," also argued in 2010 on the House floor that repealing DADT would affect recruitment, morale, and cohesion. 

But the Palm Center's study revealed that military recruitment and retention was unaffected by the repeal of DADT, and that the repeal produced positive effects for gay service members who were able "to resolve disputes around harassment and bias in ways that were not possible prior to repeal." It is also noted that a sudden wave of violence, physical abuse, or assaults did not occur following the repeal. 

In May, the U.S. Department of Defense released a report that showed the DADT repeal was a success, and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta noted that the repeal had no impact on morale, unit cohesion, or military readiness.

"Before the repeal of 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,' you faithfully served your country with professionalism and courage. And just like your fellow service members, you put your country before yourself," Panetta said in a video message in June to LGBT service members. "And now, after repeal, you can be proud of serving your country, and be proud of who you are when in uniform."

In an interview today with POLITICO, Aaron Belkin, the lead author on the Palm Center's study, said that it was important to know if DADT was working or not because, during the Republican primaries earlier this year, none of the candidates expressed support for the repeal.

The Republican Party's platform also implies it would re-implement DADT through an "objective and open-minded review of the current Administration's management of military personnel policies" and "correct" those problems. However, a Romney campaign spokesperson told the Huffington Post that Mitt Romney stands by his previous statement about his position and that he has no plans on reversing the repeal "at this stage."