[News] Giordano, Monahan, Lack and Versteeg to march in Pride Parade

[MissTeeks]

In case people were heading down there this weekend:

https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/csec...de/c-290834228

Representatives from the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) will join tens of thousands of fans and spectators in celebrating Pride Week festivities in Calgary by participating in the annual Pride Parade on Sunday afternoon.

IN ATTENDANCE

Mark Giordano and wife Lauren - Calgary Flames

Sean Monahan and girlfriend Brittany - Calgary Flames

Eddie Lack and wife Joanna - Calgary Flames

Kris Versteeg and brother Bryce - Calgary Flames

Drea Esposito - Calgary Hitmen

Justyn Gurney - Calgary Hitmen

Murphy Stratton - Calgary Hitmen

Garrett McIntosh - Calgary Roughnecks

Jon Cornish - Stampeders Alumnus and You Can Play Ambassador

[TheScorpion]

This is super awesome. Love how involved CSEC and the players for their teams are in this parade every year.

Also, not to nitpick, but there are only three Es in Versteeg.

[starseed]

I remember watching Mark and Sean marching in Toronto's Pride parade donning the Flaming C with Brian Burke a couple years ago. The Flames are the league's best You Can Play reps.

[Knut]

Facebook comment section for the Flames official new release is as depressing as usual.

"Why are the Flames not participating in the March for Jesus?" ugh.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Hes

Facebook comment section for the Flames official new release is as depressing as usual.

"Why are the Flames not participating in the March for Jesus?" ugh.

Rule #1 of the internet. Never read the comment section. No good can come of it.

[Locke]

Will they be dressed as Police Officers?

[FunkMasterFlame]

Even worse, they will be dressed like UCP members.

[Poe969]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Rule #1 of the internet. Never read the comment section. No good can come of it.

Isn't CP just a big comment section? Are you saying to not read CP??? Troll.

This is good news, not because of what it's for just that the team is an active part of society. It's good to see players giving their time to be part of their fans' lives.

[Mony]

Guess I have to bring a sign to Pride this year.

[Reggie Dunlop]

The Flames were one of the first NHL teams (if not the first) to have a presence in the Pride March. Originally, it was just a rainbowy-festooned pickup truck, Harvey and some Ice Girls.

Burke on board changed it up as far as personal appearances went. That said, it's a great marketing strategy. All the other CSEC properties are represented.

[JFK]

Will be great when players who are, can attend with their male partner and not just the wife or friend. Sports is always a little behind, especially the closed doors of the lockerroom but what a great day that will be.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by JFK

Will be great when players who are, can attend with their male partner and not just the wife or friend. Sports is always a little behind, especially the closed doors of the lockerroom but what a great day that will be.

You know, thinking about that I'm not sure how much the NHL can really do about it. You talk about the lockerroom, well thats all well and good and maybe the NHL lockerroom will be more tolerant but imagine all of the lockerrooms they'll have had to go through to get there.

Thats tough.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Locke

You know, thinking about that I'm not sure how much the NHL can really do about it. You talk about the lockerroom, well thats all well and good and maybe the NHL lockerroom will be more tolerant but imagine all of the lockerrooms they'll have had to go through to get there.

Thats tough.

Yeah. It stands to reason that most male-dominated sports would have a lower percentage of LGBQT people. Not because those people aren't made for contact sports, but because they have very likely been weeded out through attrition of harassment and/or exclusion. This includes the use of derogatory terms not just directed at those people but their use at all. If your teammates constantly use f*g or gay as insults, why would you ever come out to these people? How could you feel comfortable around them? So, unfortunately, I would think many leave fairly early on.

This is definitely getting better, but kids still use the language of their parents and people in their early 30's and 40's with young kids in sports aren't beyond using these words and thinking it's not a big deal.

There are probably at least a few in the NHL by now, particularly younger folks. I would imagine we see a people start to come out within the next few years.

Here's the thing. I understand the need to come out to show support for others struggling, but at the same time I really don't care to know. If Matt Tkachuk showed up at the Pride parade with a boyfriend, I would hope it barely gets a mention beyond "Tkachuk and partner David, seen here". I think the big potential media firestorm around it, as positive as it would likely be, is something that deters people more than fear of discrimination from their teammates at this point

I would guess most gay athletes are very well known to be gay by their teammates.

[jayswin]

It's too bad not a single current Stamps player wanted to join. I guess you could argue they're getting ready for the Labour Day game, but that's a stretch to say no one could spare a couple hours and represent the team.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Yeah. It stands to reason that most male-dominated sports would have a lower percentage of LGBQT people. Not because those people aren't made for contact sports, but because they have very likely been weeded out through attrition of harassment and/or exclusion. This includes the use of derogatory terms not just directed at those people but their use at all. If your teammates constantly use f*g or gay as insults, why would you ever come out to these people? How could you feel comfortable around them? So, unfortunately, I would think many leave fairly early on.

This is definitely getting better, but kids still use the language of their parents and people in their early 30's and 40's with young kids in sports aren't beyond using these words and thinking it's not a big deal.

There are probably at least a few in the NHL by now, particularly younger folks. I would imagine we see a people start to come out within the next few years.

Here's the thing. I understand the need to come out to show support for others struggling, but at the same time I really don't care to know. If Matt Tkachuk showed up at the Pride parade with a boyfriend, I would hope it barely gets a mention beyond "Tkachuk and partner David, seen here". I think the big potential media firestorm around it, as positive as it would likely be, is something that deters people more than fear of discrimination from their teammates at this point

I would guess most gay athletes are very well known to be gay by their teammates.

Its a tough road, but by all accounts progress is being made but the change of lockerroom attitudes, not just in the NHL but in sport in general, is likely going to be measured in generations.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by jayswin

It's too bad not a single current Stamps player wanted to join. I guess you could argue they're getting ready for the Labour Day game, but that's a stretch to say no one could spare a couple hours and represent the team.

Same deal last year. Jon Cornish was the lone Stampeders representative.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Same deal last year. Jon Cornish was the lone Stampeders representative.

Yeah, really disappointing. I know football players tend to be a step behind the other major sports in terms of inclusiveness, and I'm sure having a lot of US players from the south doesn't help.

But with such large roster sizes, it'd be great if they could find even one current roster player that would just suck it up and participate. I wonder if Bo Levi Mitchell's personal views may keep him out, being from Texas, cause he's normally a front and centre community guy.

They're just always so quiet towards the LQBTQ community as a team, it's a little frustrating.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Yeah, really disappointing. I know football players tend to be a step behind the other major sports in terms of inclusiveness, and I'm sure having a lot of US players from the south doesn't help.

But with such large roster sizes, it'd be great if they could find even one current roster player that would just suck it up and participate. I wonder if Bo Levi Mitchell's personal views may keep him out, being from Texas, cause he's normally a front and centre community guy.

They're just always so quiet towards the LQBTQ community as a team, it's a little frustrating.

I'll play '10th Man' a little bit, but maybe they're just too low-profile and werent asked? Is that possible? I know that theory seems far-fetched because they're part of the CSEC and you'd think Organizationally they'd be more on top of it, but maybe their lack of participation is out of omission rather than protest?

Or maybe the Demonization of the CFL is part of the 'Gay Agenda?'

I mean...that would be a mighty specific Agenda and not all that particularly beneficial to the LGBTG community, but until that Agenda is publicly released all we can do is speculate.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Locke

Its a tough road, but by all accounts progress is being made but the change of lockerroom attitudes, not just in the NHL but in sport in general, is likely going to be measured in generations.

I would say certain aspects of it are definitely changing right now, and fairly dramatically.

When I coached bantam we were very strict about discrimination and discriminatory language against anyone, teammates or otherwise. Over the course of 6 years we didn't have to approach the topic much by the last few years and kids today are largely concious of bullying and are IMO more likely to suppress it than encourage it.

This is not just in sports but in youth in general. 21 Jump Street exposed a funny truth that there was a really fast shift from when even I was in high school a decade or so ago to now in regards to people bullying others for stuff like being smart, or gay, or a different skin tone. It's more likely that bully gets outcasted than supported by others as was more common when our parents were growing up.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Locke

I'll play '10th Man' a little bit, but maybe they're just too low-profile and werent asked? Is that possible? I know that theory seems far-fetched because they're part of the CSEC and you'd think Organizationally they'd be more on top of it, but maybe their lack of participation is out of omission rather than protest?

Or maybe the Demonization of the CFL is part of the 'Gay Agenda?'

I mean...that would be a mighty specific Agenda and not all that particularly beneficial to the LGBTG community, but until that Agenda is publicly released all we can do is speculate.

Stamps are higher profile than the Hitmen and Roughnecks and Jon Cornish goes each year while representing the Stamps so they idea that players aren't being invited makes little sense.

I'm sure everyone from the Pride event itself to their owners (The Flames) would be overjoyed to see significant participation from current players. Lack of participation would almost assuredly have to come from the players themselves.