Quietly, without any real fanfare, the The Calgary Pioneers and the WHCL have got together and done something meaningful. They’ve taken a select group of gay hockey players and placed them in a men’s league in a province where being rough around the edges is considered a compliment. So far, the partnership is working well on all counts with the Pioneers currently second in their eight-team division.
As for trouble spots, there was just the one last season when the Pioneers made their debut. An opposing player made a homophobic slur that was heard by a referee and reported to the league office. That player was banned for the rest of the season. So as not to antagonize their rivals, the Pioneers acknowledge their orientation in subtle fashion, with a You Can Play Project patch on the right shoulder of their jersey and with some players using rainbow-coloured tape on their hockey sticks. READ MORE
Thank-you for reading Stonewall Gazette
Be sure to never miss one of our posts.
You can follow Stonewall Gazette
on Facebook and Twitter or receive it by email!
