Prokop, who was drafted by the Nashville Predators last year, me out as gay wh a heartfelt statement to fans this week, an admissn he said he hoped would improve gay visibily wh the hockey muny.
Contents:
- NHL PROSPECT LE PROKOP OUT AS GAY, A FIRST FOR THE LEAGUE
- REPORT: NHL ACTUALLY HAS HAD HUNDREDS OF OPENLY GAY PLAYERS FOR YEARS
NHL PROSPECT LE PROKOP OUT AS GAY, A FIRST FOR THE LEAGUE
* gay hockey fans *
Natnal Hockey League prospect Le Prokop me out as gay via a heartfelt statement to fans Monday, sayg he hoped would improve gay visibily wh the hockey muny.
“I hope that sharg who I am I n help other people see that gay people are wele the hockey muny, as we work to make sure that hockey is tly for everyone, ” he wrote. Prokop hasn’t played an NHL game yet, but if he do, he’ll jo que a small club: There have only been two openly gay active players the four largt US sports leagu – Carl Nassib of the NFL’s Las Vegas Rairs, who me out last month, and Jason Colls, an NBA veteran who me out 2013 and retired the followg season. Homophobic language is often ed among ach and players on youth sports teams.
This n evolve to lastg homophobic attus or e gay players to hi their sexualy om their teammat, said Erik Denison, a behavral scientist and lead rearcher on the Sport Incln Project at Monash Universy Atralia, a June terview wh CNN. " a seri she began 2013 that centers around Eric "Bty" Btle, a gay former junr figure skatg champn om Geia who lov bakg pi and plays hockey on his northern llege's team.
REPORT: NHL ACTUALLY HAS HAD HUNDREDS OF OPENLY GAY PLAYERS FOR YEARS
"We have so ltle reprentatn general, and means a lot to see yourself reprented, " said Epste, who is gay and the dghter of a Chilean mother and a Jewish father om central ics have stck a chord and are creatg a new generatn of hockey fans, acrdg to Rachel Donner, a -missner for the recreatn league of the New York Cy Gay Hockey Associatn. Along wh the ual warmup jersey ctn and rabow stick tape, there was a ceremonial puck drop wh Alexanr Roque of the New York Gay Hockey Associatn, and the Natnal Anthem was sung by Wren Rivera, a nonbary actor.
He me out as gay on social media 2021. After he me out as gay publicly 2009, he worked towards batg homophobia hockey.
But even wh the NHL’s queer outreach efforts over the last few years, ’s hard to believe the league’s assertns that “hockey is for everyone” when racist and homophobic slurs are still hurled out on the ice by active players at all levels of play. Jt lookg at the repli to all those Pri Night tweets, you’ll fd plenty homophobic repli. All month long, Outsports is revisg key moments gay, lbian, bisexual, transgenr and queer sports history as part of LGBTQ history month.