The National Hockey League has banned the usage of Pride Tape (rainbow tape players wrap around the blades of their hockey sticks), in what LGBTQ+ sports publication Outsports has called “the most stifling, anti-LGBTQ policy any pro sports league in North America has ever issued.”
An NHL spokesperson confirmed the change in policy to Outsports in a piece published on Monday. Players use Pride Tape to show support for the LGBTQ+ community; now, they will no longer be allowed to use the tape during warmups, games, or even practices.
This represents an escalation of the NHL’s already existing anti-LGBTQ+ policies. In June, the NHL banned teams from wearing Pride jerseys (including during pre-game warmups) after several players refused to wear rainbow jerseys for Pride Night, citing their religious beliefs and Russian anti-gay laws. (The Chicago Blackhawks stated that they acted out of concern for Russian players, who could potentially be jeopardized for publicly supporting LGBTQ+ rights when returning to the country.) League commissioner Gary Bettman told Sportsnet at the time that the specialty jerseys had “become a distraction.” Last Thursday, the NHL sent a memo to all its teams in order to clarify its guidance with regard to specialty initiatives, such as Pride Night, Black History Night, and Hockey Fights Cancer Night.
One paragraph of the memo, obtained by Outsports, states that “players shall not be put in the position of having to demonstrate (or where they may be appearing to demonstrate) personal support for any Special Initiatives.”
“A factor that may be considered in this regard includes, for example, whether a Player (or Players) is required to be in close proximity to any groups or individuals visibly or otherwise clearly associated with such Special Initiative(s),” the memo reads. In other words — teams appear to be discouraged from even putting players in proximity to “Special Initiative” groups (such as those celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride).
As Outsports writes, the memo isn’t clarifying but confusing, particularly over how teams are allowed to celebrate events like Pride.
“Can a team have a drag queen, or a gay men’s chorus, sing the National Anthem, with players on the ice?” Outsports wrote. “Can a team now be barred from requiring players to be on the ice for the singing of said National Anthem?”
The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association, the union representing the players, have yet to respond to Outsports’ report.
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