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”What If…?” #15: An Active Player in the NHL “Came Out” as Gay?
It has always been a hot button topic within sports. The revelation of the past 24-hours has put a new spotlight on its relevance within the sport of hockey, however. For those who haven’t read the pieces yet, check out the columns by
John Buccigross and
Greg Wyshynski and let the gravity of this sink in: Brian Burke, the epitome of rough and gruff in the professional hockey world, is the loving father of an openly gay son.
Where does the “gravity” of this lay? Certainly not in the fact that Burke is supportive and loving of his son irrespective of his sexual orientation. All of us who are parents would likely agree that were one of our children to reveal the same news to us that we would not spurn them or love them any less. In my mind, the gravity lies in the potential areas of shift this opens in the sport of hockey given Burke’s profile as a very hardnosed and testosterone-driven hockey mind. I don’t need to review in detail the specifics of how he has developed or maintained this persona. You are all well read and viewed hockey fans and know how Burke projects himself. What I ask is you to hold onto that image and read this quote from him that was included as part of Buccigross’ column:
"I had a million good reasons to love and admire Brendan. This news didn't alter any of them. I would prefer Brendan hadn't decided to discuss this issue in this very public manner. There will be a great deal of reaction, and I fear a large portion will be negative. But this takes guts, and I admire Brendan greatly, and happily march arm in arm with him on this.
There are gay men in professional hockey. We would be fools to think otherwise. And it's sad that they feel the ned to conceal this. I understand why they do so, however.
Can a gay man advance in professional hockey? He can if he works for the Toronto Maple Leafs! Or for Miami University Hockey. God bless Rico Blasi! And I am certain these two organizations are not alone here.
I wish this burden would fall on someone else's shoulders, not Brendan's. Pioneers are often misunderstood and mistrusted. But since he wishes to blaze this trail, I stand beside him with an axe! I simply could not be more proud of Brendan than I am, and I love him as much as I admire him." -- Brian Burke
What I sense from this is a man who loves his son very much but who is also very worried about the backlash his kid might experience. One can empathize with this quite easily by thinking about their own child in such a situation. Where he takes the extra step in this situation, however, one that could come to be quite a paradigm shift in the NHL, is when he addresses the “elephant in the room” in what I would suggest is a very paternal and supportive manner. Specifically, he states what we all know to be true yet have not heard expressed directly by many in the fraternity of active NHL players and management: there are gay men playing in the league, and the current climate in sports is such that they feel the need to conceal their orientation from others. Such a statement is radical enough in the sense that it involves directly broaching a subject that although not having been expressly discouraged has not been spoken of for so long that there is an implicit message that it is something to remain “hush hush” about. The huge step follows this statement where he conveys the message that has been held back for so long: You are welcome here. A gay man is welcome in our organization. What seems like an obvious message has been absent by way of the reluctance to discuss this out in the open, sending the same “don’t ask don’t tell” message present in many other areas of life. What do I mean by this? Well, when you have a group of individuals who are known to suffer in silence because they feel they cannot be their true selves in an environment, they are never truly going to feel welcome. If you are made to feel as though “We pretty well know about your orientation, but would prefer you just not make it an issue by not discussing it” you are not being welcome. Burke just kicked that door open with the Leafs folks. I can guarantee he will see that any qualified individual, regardless of sexual orientation, is going to be permitted to succeed in this organization, for to not do this would be to insult his very own son.
But the impact of his statement does not end there. Burke has also out the call to the remaining teams in the league to respond in a like manner. To say “…I am certain these two organizations are not alone here” in stating that gay men have the opportunity to succeed in the NHL seems like a call to action to me. I read it like Burke saying to the league as a whole that they need to come forward and open up their eyes and ears to the concerns of gay men in professional hockey by stating in a clear voice as he has “You are welcome here”. In other words, “Don’t make a liar out of me when I say the league is not going to marginalize you”. Will other teams follow suit and echo his comments? I would hope that this would act as a facilitating statement to do so.
Many will say that this shouldn’t even be news as it shouldn’t matter whether a player, executive or staff member is gay, and I agree 100%. I think the key phrasing though is present in something Brian Burke stated in the context of the Buccigross article: "I hope the day comes, and soon, when this is not a story." I don’t want to put words in Burke’s mouth so I’ll say what I think this means: that while this shouldn’t be news, the current state of sport is such that gay men and women are left feeling as though they cannot “be” gay while directly involved in their line of work, thereby making it news at present when an individual “comes out”. That being said, something in me sees this story as a shifting point in the gay athlete rhetoric when it comes to team-based sports. We’ve got the GM and President of the wealthiest and probably most marketable franchise in the league taking the lead in making it known that gay or straight, an individual would be accepted into the fold, and not under the pretense that they keep their sexuality as a “secret”. The ultimate next big step in this whole transformation in sport comes in the form of a huge “What If?”:
”What If? #15: An Active Player in the NHL “Came Out” as Gay?
This is what the big shove would be would it not? We’ve got one of the top executives speaking about how unfortunate it is that gay men have to not “out themselves” in the league, imagine if a player stepped out as a gay man and did the same thing? What would the spillover be? Would this encourage others to come forward? Would heterosexual teammates step up in support or continue the silence that has defined professional sports up to present? What would the league and PA do in terms of involvement. Especially in terms of the latter, if it is established that there are association members who feel they cannot live their true lives on the job is the onus not on them to see what they can do to de-marginalize these individuals? That being said, are we being presumptuous in assuming these individuals want to be out in terms of their sexuality? Am I presuming too much thinking that a player is being adversely affected by not coming out? Am I being naïve to think that it may not just be common knowledge amongst the players who is gay and that it’s just a non-issue among them?
All I know is that a little over 35 years ago homosexuality was considered a psychiatric disorder. That we are able to have these discussions now is both a testament to how far things have come since then, yet at the same time a signal of how much farther we have to go. I welcome everyone’s feedback on this topic, yet at the same time, given the charged nature of the topic ask that people remain respectful of other’s rights and feelings.
Cheers!
Shawn Gates
[email protected]
Twitter: ShawnHockeybuzz
Facebook: Shawn Gates
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Remember to visit us at
www.hockeyden.net and check out the 2008-09 Upper Deck Series 2 box break! Then enter to win your choice of a card from the break (Patrick Roy Jersey card anyone?)! It’s a Mitch Fritz-tastic break!!
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Previous “Psychology of Sport” Articles
Arousal and Performance
Depression
Previous “Who Knew?” Articles
#1: Gordie Howe
#2: The Zamboni
#3: Maurice “The Rocket” Richard
#4: Ron Hextall
#5: Stanley Cup Abuse, Neglect and Versatility
#6: The Puck
#7: Don Cherry
Previous “WHAT IF…?” Articles
#1 What If The NHL Contracted To 24 Teams?
#2 What If Quebec Traded Lindros To The Rangers Instead Of The Flyers?
#3 What If Calgary Drafted Martin Brodeur Instead Of Trevor Kidd?
#3a What If Calgary Drafted Martin Brodeur Instead Of Trevor Kidd?: A RESPONSE
#4 What If The WHA Never Existed?
#5 What If The Position Of Rover Had Not Been Eliminated?
#6 What If Pittsburgh Had Not Been Awarded A Team In 1967?
#7 What If Steve Smith Had Not Scored In His Own Net In Game 7?
#8 What If The NHL Had a Cross-Conference Playoff Structure?
#9 What If The NHL Asked For Fan Ideas For Improving The Game??
#10 What If Henderson Had Missed The Net In Game 8?
#11 What If You Could Sneak Into A Stanley Cup Celebration?
#12 What If The NHL Returned To Quebec City?
#13 What if Toronto and Edmonton Had Traded Teams in 1981?
#14 What if You Could Create Your Own Hockey Dream Team?
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