Posted on 01/24/2016 7:22:46 PM PST by rickmichaels
The Edmonton Oilers became the first NHL team to use Pride Tape, a multicolored tape to promote inclusiveness in sports. The Oilers used the tape Sunday during their annual Skills Competition at Rexall Place.
"Many view professional hockey players as role models and our team felt this was a great initiative to let every person know they're welcome in the game of hockey," defenseman Andrew Ference told the Oilers website. "We're all proud to play for a team and city that supports diversity and human rights."
The Oilers' Twitter account posted photos of the players' sticks wrapped in the tape before the competition began.
The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF) is also making a donation to become a Founding Partner of Pride Tape and help get the initiative across the goal line. The EOCF focuses on initiatives to promote education, health and wellness for youth.
"We are thrilled to be partnering with the Oilers and officially launching Pride Tape in Edmonton, a city that believes in diversity and human rights, and a city that proudly supports our LGBTQ community," said Dr. Kristopher Wells, Faculty Director with the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services at the University of Alberta, one of the partners spearheading the campaign. "It's a local initiative with national reach and we're very excited to have the Oilers be the first to support this inclusive message on the ice."
Wells and Calder Bateman Communications are working together on a Kickstarter campaign to raise enough funds to produce 10,000 rolls of the tape. As of Sunday, they have raised more than $40,000 of their $54,000 campaign goal.
On the Kickstarter page, Pride Tape is described as a badge of support from the teammates, coaches, parents and pros to young LGBTQ players. It shows every player that they belong on the ice, that everyone is on the same team and your help is needed to make it a reality.
When Pride Tape is up and running, proceeds will support LGBTQ youth outreach initiatives, such as You Can Play and the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services. That means every roll of tape will make an impact on and off the ice.
In 2013, the NHL and NHLPA partnered with You Can Play, an organization "dedicated to ensuring equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation"
On Sunday, You Can Play tweeted a statement from co-founder Patrick Burke, who works in the NHL's Department of Player Safety.
"I truly believe that a moment like the Oilers using Pride Tape would have meant the world to a young Brendan Burke," said Burke, whose brother Brendan was an openly gay student manager who worked to combat homophobia in hockey. Brendan died in a car accident in 2010. "It would have helped him, tremendously. And made him feel welcomed, like a true part of the hockey family. And I'm happiest today for the young LGBT hockey players in Alberta who will see this and feel welcomed by our league."
Since partnering with You Can Play, the NHL has seen all 30 teams represented by a player in PSAs. Teams have committed to having You Can Play nights this season. The first will be Monday when the Philadelphia Flyers face the Boston Bruins at Wells Fargo Center (7 p.m. ET; TVA Sports, NESN, CSN-PH).
Do you have a link to when the Blackhawks took the Cup to a pride parade? I’m here in Chicago, lifelong Hawks fan and I somehow missed that!
What team are you a ticket holder for?
As for this idiotic rainbow tape, bad bad bad idea.
I have heard for years that there is quite a bit of ‘gay’ stuff going on with hockey, but there is no need to advertise it.
Stanley Cup to appear in Chicago Pride Parade
“The Stanley Cup will appear in the 2015 Chicago Pride Parade, the second time the NHL champion Blackhawks have let the trophy ride in the festivities. .....
In 2010, the Stanley Cup became the first major professional sports trophy ever to ride in a pride parade. “ http://www.si.com/nhl/2015/06/26/chicago-blackhawks-stanley-cup-pride-parade
I’m a season ticket holder for the Penguins. Fortunately they haven’t had “pride” nights like other franchises but I’m guessing it’s only a matter of time.
In nothing else, it’s kind of distracting. Probably to both teams.
I always thought queers had good fashion sense. What’s with the gaudy flag symbol, then?
What is happening to my favorite sport? How I long for the days of Hull, Orr, Howe, Mahovlich, Cournoyer, Richard...(feel free to add names here:_______________________)
Crap. I’m sick of the pink stuff in football. Distracts so much from the game and now this.
I vaguely remember that several years ago a list of NFL players was published who liked gay marriage or were gay or something to do with being gay. I have forgotten exactly what it was except it had nothing to do with hockey.
Thank you for the link. I didn’t doubt your claim, I just hadn’t seen it. Damn them!!
There may be more homosexuals in the NFL simply because the population is larger and NFL players come from more varied family situations.
NHL players come almost exclusively from mother/father households. The measured number of homosexuals in any population is usually about 1.5%. For NHL players that would suggest about 11 players, yet I don’t recall any NHL players who have come out of the closet. Now I don’t believe there are zero homosexuals in the NHL but the fact that league and societal endorsement has not led any to come out suggests to me the true number of homosexuals in the NHL is way lower than 1.5%.
Because of that I don’t believe this move to endorse homosexiality has anything to do with the players, it’s pure political posturing and in your face anti-religious believer.
and this is how the leftists further destroy sports. Eventually it will be nerf rules rugby with no scorekeeping allowed.
Old Time Hockey, like Eddie Shore.
some fool in the back office wants to be politically correct.
(remember the pink socks homosexual fashion advice makeover?)
These idiots do not understand marketing suicide. Bad marketing DESTROYS brands.
Sad. Next they will have rainbow skates.
I think that the Andrew Ference mentioned in the article is one. I remember reading about him a few years ago. I have not heard of any others.
The NBA was promoting faggots too. They haven’t gone with the color thing yet but the new sleeved jerseys make them look like a bunch of fruits.
What needs to happen is to associate the rainbow with guns and ammo.
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