Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Hockey + Gay Pride: A Not-So-Odd Couple



I don't know much about The Hockey....something to do with ice and pucks....Shakespeare on ice? I dunno.

But I do know that the bling from the Stanley Cup Hockey Championships, the actual Stanley Cup, will be on display in the Chicago Gay Pride parade, and that Chicago Blackhawk Brent Sopel has volunteered to represent the team in the parade. Blackhawks President John McDonough is rerouting the Stanley Cup from being on display at the NHL draft in LA so it can be part of the gay pride parade in Chicago on Sunday.

Hockey and gay pride? Who knew?

"I am honored to do it," said Sopel, who will be accompanied by wife, Kelly, and his four kids, Jacob, 12, Lyla, 8, Jayla, 6, and Paul, 20, whom they adopted three years ago after Paul's parents died within six months of each other.

Sopel and his family are marching in honor of Brendan Burke, the son of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, who was killed in a car accident two months after coming out late last year. "When Brendan came out, Brian stood by him, and his whole family stood by him, like every family should," said Sopel. "We teach our kids about accepting everybody. Tolerate everybody, to understand where everyone is coming from."

Hockey? Gay? Acceptance?

Moving forward!

2 comments:

  1. I'm a little skeptical about this because I remember how they taunted Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger by calling him "Chrissy" and used a gay slur to describe him on the white erase board in their locker room.

    If they were serious about this they should have made Adam Bursish, who allegedly wrote the slur on the board, represent the Hawks.

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  2. LOVE that they did this!! Just started getting into hockey, but I've loved the gays forever. I think I might just pick the Blackhawks as my team to root for now!

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