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Old 02-02-2024, 07:57 AM   #1307
CorsiHockeyLeague
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Well, Kuzmenko is a bit of a weird case for this stuff because he's about as Russian as it gets. That event occurred literally months after he first emigrated from Russia, and based on the limited press statements that were out there his family's stance was what led him not to wear it - it legitimately sounded like he called home and during the conversation said "they wear rainbow jerseys here, isn't that weird" or something, and his parents told him "NO SON OF MINE..." he largely participated in the evening itself outside of wearing the jerseys.

As discussed when this first came up and all the Staal / Reimer nonsense happened, there really are two levels to players not wearing the pride jerseys. One was, "I'm disappointed that this person won't participate in this event which is intended to foster inclusivity in a sport that has traditionally not been welcoming to LGBTQ+ people", which is for the players who don't wear the jersey and say "I'm not wearing this for personal reasons and will have no further comment". That, as noted, is disappointing, but it doesn't in my view warrant a "well #### that guy" reaction.

Then there's the players who say "I'm not wearing this for personal reasons and will now tell you all about why I don't support the 'choice' gay people make and what my personal beliefs are in an attempt to make this event as much about me as I possibly can". And yeah. #### that guy.
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