Stanley Cup overflows with Pride

The Stanley Cup, which has been on more adventures than perhaps any other piece of championship hardware, will make its first appearance in a gay-themed event this weekend [ Chicago Pride - June 27, 2010 ].

The Chicago Gay Hockey Association invited the Blackhawks to join Sunday's Gay Pride Parade after the team won its first Stanley Cup title since 1961 -- and the team said yes. So did the Chicago Cubs, who will have their own float in the parade for the first time.

Defenceman Brent Sopel and his wife, Kelly, will accompany the Cup on a float in the parade. Sopel, who was traded this week to Atlanta, is a 33-year-old father of three who said he volunteered to honour the late son of Toronto general manager Brian Burke, his former boss in Vancouver.

Patrick Burke remembers his pioneering brother, Brendan

Brendan Burke's coming out and death showed his brother and family the welcoming side of hockey. Now their arms are open for other gay athletes.

Patrick Burke [left] and his brother Brendan

“There are a lot of gay athletes out there and gay people working in pro sports that deserve to know that there are safe environments where people are supportive of you regardless of your sexual orientation.” - Brendan Burke


Every time a player has the courage and the confidence to step up and be an example and a role model, he breaks a stereotype held by athletes who generally have limited exposure to gay culture. 


It is truly a vicious cycle: Athletes who are never exposed to gay culture hold onto antiquated (and often harmful) stereotypes about homosexuality, which makes gay athletes afraid to come out, which means the athletes never confront the ignorance of their beliefs. 


The cycle has been repeating itself for generations in pro sports.

Homophobia and Hockey

Brendan Burke's legacy lives on

CBC's Fifth Estate recently did a documentary on The Legacy of Brendan Burke.

Brendan Burke [ wikipedia ] was a remarkable young man. Growing up in a hockey family, with a sports icon as a father [ Brian Burke - Pres./Gen.Mgr. of The Toronto Maple Leafs ], he was probably destined to make his mark in hockey.

And he did, but in a way few could have predicted. He decided to tell the world he was gay — a courageous move in a sport where no player, current or former, has ever come out.
Brendan Burke's life was tragically cut short, but his legacy lives on.

Click on the link to watch the full 45-minute documentary about Brendan and how his example is changing the world.