Culture and Social Issues

NHL Launches ‘Inclusion Coalition’ To Push LGBTQ Initiatives

The National Hockey League launched the “Player Inclusion Coalition” on Tuesday aimed at pushing LGBTQ and diversity initiatives within the sport, The Associated Press reported.

The committee consists of 20 minority and LGBTQ players and former players, and will “work to advance equality and inclusion in the sport of hockey on and off the ice,” according to the coalition’s website. The announcement comes days after some NHL players said they would refuse to wear “pride jerseys” before games, causing the league to abandon the practice.

Members of the coalition include Anson Carter, a former player for the Edmonton Oilers and Black Lives Matter supporter, and Meghan Duggan, former U.S. Olympian and LGBTQ advocate, according to the AP.

“Ignorance is just not an excuse anymore,” said Duggan. “We have so many resources at our fingertips to understand: ‘What is the terminology for the queer community? What is the acronym? What are different, politically correct ways to address certain groups?’ The education is out there for people to understand, not necessarily exactly how to relate to someone from a marginalized community, but just how they can be an ally.”

The coalition will make recommendations to league executives on how to make the league more “inclusive,” conduct educational lectures with NHL players and referees and spend a starting amount of $1 million on “grassroots programs that welcome and celebrate diverse hockey audiences,” according to the coalition’s website.

“It’s no secret that this is a sport that struggles with diversity and inclusion sometimes,” said Duggan. “That’s why this group is here: to continue to push, to continue to make recommendations, to continue to have players step up and be public allies.”

The new coalition is the most recent evolution of the NHL’s “inclusion committee” initiative, which was started after the death of George Floyd in 2020, the AP reported. Its launch comes just days after the NHL banned themed jerseys on the ice, following backlash about the league’s decision to have players wear “pride-themed” jerseys before games. Many players said they will refuse to wear the uniforms, including Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov, whose jersey sold out online shortly after he announced his refusal, Fox News reported.

Despite banning pride- themed jerseys, the NHL said it will continue celebrating “pride nights,” according to Fox News.