"Professional athletes are role models. Anyone that's gone to a youth hockey game and seen guys copying celebrations knows that. This is as much for the NHL athletes as it is for the high school kids."For background, read Major League Baseball for Gay Agenda and also read White House Says Gay Recruitment of Kids Successful as well as Santorum Explains Gay Agenda Effect on Children
-- Patrick Burke, Philadelphia Flyers
-- From "NHL stars back effort to eliminate homophobia in hockey" by The Associated Press 3/4/12
Rick Nash, Duncan Keith, Corey Perry, Dion Phaneuf and Henrik Lundqvist are among the players who participated in the [commercial] that debuted on NBC during Sunday afternoon’s broadcast of the New York Rangers’ 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins.
The idea is part of the “You Can Play” project, which was created by Patrick Burke, a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers and the son of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke.
Patrick Burke’s brother, Brendan, made headlines when he came out [as a homosexual] in November 2009 while serving as the manager of Miami of Ohio’s college hockey team. He was killed in a February 2010 car crash at age 21.
“We had a very open relationship where I asked him a lot of questions because I didn’t know anything. ... And hearing some of the stories that young LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) athletes face really touched me and made we want to do something in Brendan’s honor to help those kids.”
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From "NHLers helping to end homophobia in hockey" by The Canadian Press 3/4/12
. . . more than 30 NHL players responded by taping spots that will air throughout the remainder of the season.
In its mission statement, the "You Can Play" project says it aims to ensure "equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation."
The Burkes reached out to all 30 NHL teams in an effort to get support from players and received a strong response. Eight of them taped spots during the all-star game in Ottawa.
Hockey has yet to have an athlete come out and declare that he's gay. Patrick Burke is optimistic the day is coming — "statistically, we have gay players in the NHL," he said — and thinks it will not only serve to help that individual but also a large group of young players in need of a role model.
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From "You Can Play: Behind Patrick Burke’s bold effort using NHL players to fight homophobia in hockey" by Greg Wyshynski, posted at Yahoo News 3/4/12
Patrick Burke hopes "You Can Play" can help achieve his late brother's dreams for the sport in every level: That it becomes a place of acceptance, support and safety for gay athletes, to the point that one day an openly gay player can compete for a National Hockey League team without incident and feeling secure about it.
The campaign echoes the "It Gets Better" anti-bullying effort, not only in its execution — the hope is that players from around the world create their own "You Can Play" videos in a viral movement — but in the enlistment of famous faces to help sell the effort.
As Brian Burke said recently: "It has become abundantly clear to me that NHL players, coaches, and management agree completely with our ideals: talent matters, sexual orientation does not. If you can play, You Can Play."
Patrick Burke believes that based on initiatives like this, and the acceptance of LGBT rights by younger generations, we're about one year away from having a player come out in the National Hockey League.
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