Momentum is gathering for a major athlete in North American professional sports to announce his homosexuality.
That athlete may or may not come from the NHL, but that league has set a new standard for advancing that historic announcement as a result of its partnership with the You Can Play Project.
The NHL is rarely known for its forward thinking or progressive attitudes. When the NHL makes publicity waves, it has often been for its neanderthal-like attitudes when it comes to fighting and brawling among its hard-hitting players or its long and stubborn player lockouts.
But when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA chief Donald Fehr can come to an agreement on the hot-button issue of gay rights, it's a watershed moment in sports.
The NHL is saying that it would support any player who came out publicly and announced that he is gay. What that means is that the league would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with that player and support his right to make a living as a professional hockey player without having to face harassment because of his sexuality.
That means the league would be forced to punish players who ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
Why NHL’s Gay Rights Stance Is a Watershed Moment in Sports
April 12th, 2013 by Steve Silverman Leave a reply »
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