Posted on 02/06/2017 7:03:56 PM PST by markomalley
Every NHL team now has an "LGBTQ-inclusion ambassador" for a league that has no openly gay players.
The NHL will host events throughout the month for its "Hockey Is For Everyone™" initiative that raise awareness about LGBTQ issues and gender equality in the all-men league.
"The NHL is teaming up with the You Can Play project to create more visibility for LGBTQ inclusion in the league and build a list of team ambassadors that creates a web of support reaching all 30 team locker rooms," reported Outsports.com, a website run by SB Nation.
"In support of their longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion in hockey, the National Hockey League, the League’s Member Clubs and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) will spotlight a variety of community-related initiatives for Hockey Is For Everyone™ month," the NHL said in a statement last week. "Every day throughout February, Hockey Is For Everyone activities will focus awareness on such areas as LGBTQ; ethnicity and gender equality; socio-economic status and those with disabilities."
The ambassadors' purpose is for other players to have someone they can "reach out to if they need support." Outsports.com noted, "there has never been a current or former NHL player who has come out publicly."
"Every other major pro league in North America has at least two," the website added.
Among the NHL's new inclusivity officers is Montreal Canadiens player Andrew Shaw, who famously yelled "Fuck you, fucking faggot, fuck you,” at a referee during last year's playoffs.
"I mean, I get it," Shaw said at the time after being fined and suspended for a game. "It's a hurtful word."
"You had to wonder: Did he really get it?" NHL.com wrote in a story about Shaw's new role. "Did he really understand that this was a reason a gay player might not feel comfortable coming out in the NHL? Was he sorry for what he said or sorry he got caught? Was he just saying what he was supposed to say to do damage control?"
Shaw now says he believes he was the best candidate for the LGBTQ-inclusive ambassadorship for the Canadiens because of what he "went through last year," and said the role will be "more than symbolic."
"I learned that words are hurtful," he said. "They affect people. Even though you might not think they do, they cut deep into some. It's not right."
Another ambassador is Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby, who tweeted from last year's D.C. pride parade draped in a gay pride flag with the hashtag #RockTheRainbow.
The NHL's announcement of the ambassadors comes as the "refs, and the league, are declaring war on fighting." Fights are "vanishing" from the NHL, and were down 16 percent in 2016, and 40 percent from the 2012 season.
The goal of the NHL's Hockey is for Everyone™ initiative is to "provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for players and families regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation and socio-economic status."
The leagues now sells "pride tape" to put on hockey sticks for $6.99 a roll. The rainbow tape aims to "Stop Homophobia in Hockey. One Roll at a Time."
The NHL also has a "Green" initiative, which gives tips for using "smart thermostats" to manage energy use, links to Obama White House fact sheets on "Tackling climate through sports," and celebrates the former Environmental Protection Agency Gina McCarthy for saying she was "incredibly proud" of NHL Green.
Still no sex allowed in the restrooms on the team airplane?
It is like the game has become secondary to the agenda. Unbelievable. It started when schools droped hard sciences for inclusiveness sessions.
and the owners went along with this travesty???
Pittsburgh Penguins Heckle Brian Bellows
(WARNING: Not safe for work, or for minors. LOL.
Hockey fights will now consist of furious screams, hair pulling, and face scratching with long fingernails.
Zampolit
First hockey game I went to (local minor league team) had a fight and the grandmother who was sitting next to me held up her grandson so he could see the fight better. Wooooo-eeeeee
It was nice getting 5th row seats for $10.
Is someone besides Trump going to say NO!! Soon? Unfortunately, there are so many of these pervs with leadership positions in our big corporations.
Nothing new under the sun. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sporus
.....
The NHL head office is in NYC. That is where the agenda originates. nuff said
I have three grandchildren who play elementary aged hockey, it’s fans are rabid in the upper midwest.
My own playing was confined to being a goalie on a pond hockey team in Michigan. At 5 foot, five, I had no aspirations to go beyond that! But I did play quite a few years, so I know enough to really enjoy watching.
Baseball has an ‘Ambassador for Inclusion’, Billy Bean, a retired MLB player who has come out as gay after he quit playing. ‘Ambassador for Inclusion’ is his actual title, like he is from a nation of homosexuals or something. Yes, he has the same name as the A’s GM made famous in the movie/book ‘Money Ball.’
I feel your pain NHL fan. I know there isn’t one front office in MLB that wouldn’t love to have the first openly gay player on the roster. The problem with MLB is that there isn’t going to be any way to hide any breaks such a player might receive because they are gay.
FReegards
Fans have thrown some interesting things onto the ice over the years. Maybe they will start throwing dildos and other toys onto the ice to help celebrate hockey’s gay invasion. /S
Because anal sex has so much to do with hockey, right? Meh, I’ve given up watching or spending any money on professional sports anyway. They’ve gotten too big, just like the tech companies, and now they seek to rule over the very people who keep them out of the streets. They should all be split up on antitrust grounds anyway, but failing that we should all stop sending them any more money. It is foolish to fund your enemy.
#33. Re the NHL headquarters in NYC. Can we tell them to “Shut the Puck Up”?
Disappointing & Disgusting.
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