Last night the Winterhawks did their annual Pride game. They started it about three years ago. It's actually an initiative through the NHL and down to the WHL called "Hockey is for Everyone" Part of it is about being more inclusive because it's the right thing to do and part of it is making sure your customer base keeps growing because capitalism.
So basically just like all Pride now. A bit of actual pride and a bit of overt consumerism. Take the good, take the bad...
I think most of us know that if you ever doubt the need for continuing Pride days, parades, and festivals all you have to do is look at the comments underneath a public Pride post. Yup..there is it. Bigots on parade.
This year there was a lot more than there had been. And a lot of the old talking points. Calling homosexuality a mental disorder, for instance. Wow, haven't seen that one in a bit, but I guess the classics are classic for a reason. And then the whole "Stop shoving this down my throat!" which just makes me wonder why they are so fragile that a shirt is the same as, oh I don't know, having references to a god I don't believe in on my money, my country's anthem, the pledge, and every ending of a political speech. Wonder why you are so freaked out by a rainbow jersey while you don't even notice how many people wear crosses on a daily basis. It's constant.
Still hasn't made me convert though, so I think you should understand that that rainbow, and even the acknowledgment that there are gay players, isn't going to somehow convert (or sorry, I guess the new nomenclature is groom) you or your kids.
But no matter how vile they got in the comments, and some of them went full bore vile, The Winterhawks did Pride. They had new t-shirts and hoodies and replica jerseys in the team store. We went down early to make sure we could get what we wanted. And even then I have a larger hoodie than I would have bought because they were already sold out of my size. We stood in line at the team store for 20 minutes before we could check out. Which is amazing because according to a lot of people in the comments "Nobody wants this." Hunh...just me and my nobodies hanging out in line.
There were people at the game having a great time that we don't normally see. Seems like if you advertise that this is a space for you, people feel freer to come. Kind of wrecks a lot of the "Why do you even need a Pride night, nobody said they couldn't be there" argument.
And then the Winterhawks did something that I thought was brilliant and Brent thought was actually really bold too. Drag Queens. Right at the entrance. Three local queens in Rosebud (the cheer team) outfits greeting everyone as they came in. Drag Queens are such a flash point right now. Somehow I'm supposed to be scared one of them might sit me down and tell me a story... But as a middle aged, white, lady, I am powerless in the face of a Drag Queen. Seriously, just like catnip! YASS QUEENS! When they changed into their sparkled finery to ride the Fanboni during the first intermission I was THRILLED.
And I am glad the Winterhawks and their new ownership have gone further than just a little bit of rainbow tape on the sticks during warmup and a new t-shirt. I'm glad they have had people come talk with the players about what it's like to be gay in a sport that hasn't been traditionally open, and quite frankly has had a lot of homophobic rhetoric used towards players. (Which is probably most men's sports) I'm glad that there was a good sized crowd last night and that the new merchandise was pretty.
I'm glad they had representatives there from local groups that support the LGBTQIA2S+ community. I was able to make a donation to a group that is working with trans youth to help give them much needed support right now.
I'm also glad that I recognized one of the nasty posters from the comment section at the game and that he and his wife both looked miserable. What a shitty moment for them. Posting about how nobody likes this, how nobody needs this, how if you go woke you go broke and then to be surrounding by so many people smiling and laughing and having a great time all while wearing the new merchandise, or their own rainbows. I hope it burns the hate right out of them, or at least, you know, burns.
It was a good night. The special jerseys looked sharp. The new merchandise was fun and colorful. And we won 6-3. Just a good night all around.
Go Hawks!
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