LGBTQIA+ community upset with NHL’s warmup jersey ban
After the NHL banned all alternative warmup jerseys last week, one strong community that it strongly affected was the LGBTQIA+ community.
“In short, it hurts,” said Mio Linzie, a queer artist who has collaborated with several NHL teams, including the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings, on Pride jerseys.
“It doesn’t only affect the LGBTQ+ community but it also affects other marginalized communities, as the warmup jerseys is a primary part of community outreach and charity within the NHL. It’s also been a space for artists to express themselves and be able to create unique work under the NHL — and that venue has now partly been taken away.”
It’s safe to say the NHL shocked the hockey world with that puzzling decision last week. Fans across the globe adore the NHL’s collaborative warmup jersey with all different kinds of themes, including “Hockey Fights Cancer” and “Military Appreciation.”
League commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement on the banning of the jerseys.
“I’ve suggested that it would be appropriate for clubs not to change their jerseys in warmups because it’s become a distraction and taking away from the fact that all of our clubs in some form or another host nights in honor of various groups or causes,” Bettman said in an interview with Sportsnet following an NHL board of governors meeting in New York. “And we rather them continue to get the appropriate attention that they deserve and not be a distraction.”
Dr. Philippe Rey, the executive director of Adolescent Counseling Services, issued a statement on the NHL’s decision.
“It’s unfortunate the NHL has come to this decision. As events like Pride Night, where players wore Pride Night warmup jerseys, are a wonderful opportunity for players to show support to our LGBTQIA+ youth and spread a message of love and inclusivity,” Rey said in a statement to ESPN. “Gestures like this can mean a lot to LGBTQIA+ young people.”
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