Flames' Pride Night slotted for March 28 vs. LA

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Bonded

I know I would publicly state that I didn't support LGBTQ+ people if I was paid millions to play hockey instead of just putting on a jersey for 10 minutes and being like whatever like any other cause based jersey.

Isn’t symbolic support for a cause diminished if you know half the people participating are just doing it to conform?

I wear a poppy. If people were being publicly shamed for not wearing poppies, so in subsequent years everyone started wearing a poppy to fit in, I wouldn’t feel better about poppies. I’d actually feel worse. I would assume there’s a good chance anyone I see with a poppy was just wearing it to avoid public shame, not because they cared about remembering Canada’s war dead.

[PepsiFree]

I too think “wow, I wonder if that person genuinely cares about remembering Canada’s war dead or if they’re just wearing that poppy ‘because’ like some giant faker” whenever I see a poppy.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Isn’t symbolic support for a cause diminished if you know half the people participating are just doing it to conform?

I wear a poppy. If people were being publicly shamed for not wearing poppies, so in subsequent years everyone started wearing a poppy to fit in, I wouldn’t feel better about poppies. I’d actually feel worse. I would assume there’s a good chance anyone I see with a poppy was just wearing it to avoid public shame, not because they cared about remembering Canada’s war dead.

OK, so using your example, suppose a politician spoke at a podium without a poppy on November 11th. Someone in the media or public might pick up on it and ask them why they weren't wearing one. How do you think it would go over if they said that "it goes against my beliefs"?

Sure, they have the freedom not to wear one, and give any reason for that choice. The public has the freedom to question their reason, and disagree with it.

I too wear a poppy, and would be very disappointed if Trudeau, Pierre, Smith, Notley, etc. or other public figure decided that poppies were bad and that I shouldn't be able to wear one either, and I'd exercise my right to say something about it. They have the freedom to make that decision, but should they be immune from criticism and consequences of their choice?

[MRCboicgy]

That sounds like how the US media would melt down if someone didn't have a Flag lapel pin post 9-11.

[Ped]

Personal beliefs are one thing, but the players should all be partiicipating to let everyone know they are welcome to enjoy the sport. It doesn't mean you have to go out and perform a gay marriage. It just means "you are welcome as a fan." Are these players going to tell people who commit adultery to stop coming? People who say the Lord's name in vain? People who don't honour their father and mother?

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by D as in David

I'm going to invent abortion tape, then profit!

It's called a condom.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Hope all the red tape doesn't hold up your business idea.

Players will only be able to use it during the first t̶r̶i̶m̶e̶s̶t̶e̶r̶ period. Even less time in some US states.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by IamNotKenKing

It's called a condom.

Rubbers are reserved for pucks.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by D as in David

Rubbers are reserved for pricks.

Slight change.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

That's African American tape sir.

Did I have deja vu, or did we actually post these things last year too?

hashtag scotchtapematters

[Reggie Dunlop]

I just think it's poor form on the part of the league. Once you extend a hand to a traditionally marginalized community only to pull back at the slightest controversy, it makes them look like hypocrites. Human rights aren't a marketing gimmick.

[Lanny_McDonald]

I think it's terrible the Flames have to identify a specific date for the players to show any pride. You would think that with how badly they've been playing they would want to show a little bit more pride before March!

[GullFoss]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

I think it's terrible the Flames have to identify a specific date for the players to show any pride. You would think that with how badly they've been playing they would want to show a little bit more pride before March!

Lmao

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Imagine being asked to support something you're against (rightly or wrongly) and the penalty for saying no is being ostracized by the public, yet the penalty for saying yes is the sacrifice of your own beliefs.

The topic right now is pride tape. Sometimes the topic is abortion. Sometimes the topic is war. Sometimes the topic is foreign policies. Sometimes the top is religion. Sometimes the topic is science. Sometimes the top is social programs. Sometimes the topic is... and on and on and on.

Obviously, I'm on the side of people being allowed to love and marry whomever they choose... but I'm not so oblivious to what's going on around me that I can't recognize the positions people are being placed in on either side.

I know, I know... pride tape is good... normalizing someone's freedom to be themselves is good... but maybe tomorrow's topic will be something you don't agree with. How are you going to feel then?

People should ultimately be free to believe in what they want to, or not believe in what they don't want to... but unfortunately there aren't many societies in the world that are mature enough to handle that sort of thing.

As I've said before, we should be striving to elminate the extremes on both sides. The ones that hate and act upon that hate in violent ways (physically, mentally, etc)... but also the ones that bully and ridicule whomever doesn't believe in the same things they do.

At the end of the day, it's not like Eric Staal is out there protesting against Pride or beating up LGBTQ+ people etc. He's just politely refusing to wear a jersey or use rainbow tape. We don't know what his upbringing was. Maybe he was raised in a strict, religious home and had it drummed into him from childhood that "gay is evil."

Maybe we can just put our jerseys on and tape up our sticks and support our causes without also having to point and laugh and throw rocks at whomever doesn't join in?

(Note that at no point in this post have I advocated in favour of any type of violence or denial of human rights. That kind of stuff should always be dealt with accordingly, regardless of what anyone believes in.)

Edit: I only mention Eric Staal because he's probably the biggest name of the players who didn't wear the jersey. None of this is specifically about Eric Staal. This isn't a "leave Britney alone" thing, I just used his name as an example.

I can't believe we are still doing this, but sigh. OK. Do you think discrimination is bad? Yes? OK, you support what is being asked. You don't think discrimination is bad? OK, you are wrong. That's it. That's all there is. This doesn't have anything to do with beliefs or what you agree with how people lives their lives or not. That's irrelevant. If your belief system has you unable to support anti-discrimination events, your belief system is wrong and you need to change that. Others don't need to change to make you comfortable with discrimination.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I can't believe we are still doing this, but sigh. OK. Do you think discrimination is bad? Yes? OK, you support what is being asked. You don't think discrimination is bad? OK, you are wrong. That's it. That's all there is. This doesn't have anything to do with beliefs or what you agree with how people lives their lives or not. That's irrelevant. If your belief system has you unable to support anti-discrimination events, your belief system is wrong and you need to change that. Others don't need to change to make you comfortable with discrimination.

There wasn't a single sentence in my entire post that said discrimination is good. In fact, I said the exact opposite.

Also, you realize "discriminate" is a verb right? It's an action. Of course discrimination is wrong and should be stopped/prevented/etc. I can't believe I'm even having to say this, but a person can not believe in something without discriminating against it.

Personally, I believe that people who think God is real, and that he created the planet we're living on, are a little bit bonkers. Would I refuse to hire them because of that, though? Of course not, because that would be discrimination, which is 1) illegal and 2) (more importantly) immoral.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

I too think “wow, I wonder if that person genuinely cares about remembering Canada’s war dead or if they’re just wearing that poppy ‘because’ like some giant faker” whenever I see a poppy.

[Yeah_Baby]

we should cancel everyone who wears a poppy in the afternoon of Remembrance Day because they're clearly fakers who didn't go to a ceremony and leave it at the cenotaph like they were supposed to

[KelVarnsen]

Cancel everyone. Just to be safe.

[kipperiggy]

I’m glad I popped back into this thread, because the “keep politics out of sports” posts in the trade thread were pretty disheartening to read.

Hoping we can flip Kuzmenko for assets this time next year!

[Gemnoble]

Honestly, don't think this is worth the Drama. People have a right to identify and express themselves however they want. No one should be forced to do anything. I'm sure If I had to wear some sort of Religious gear I'd be a little uncomfortable if I was an atheist.