With the conversation of gay athletes in sports increasing in recent weeks, the National Hockey League and its players announced Thursday that they're in support of gay athletes.
The New York Times is reporting that the NHL has formed a partnership with the You Can Play Project- an advocacy group pledged to fighting homophobia in sports - to plan training and counseling on gay issues for its teams and players.
"Our motto is Hockey Is for Everyone, and our partnership with You Can Play certifies that position in a clear and unequivocal way," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in the statement obtained by the Times. "We are delighted to reaffirm through this joint venture with the NHL Players' Association that the official policy of the NHL is one of inclusion on the ice, in our locker rooms and in the stands."
The NHL is the first of the four major U.S. professional sports leagues to sign up with the organization, which aims to make players more sensitive to "casual homophobia" that can exist in locker rooms.
Other American sports leagues -- the NFL, MLS, NBA and MLB -- all have policies aimed against discrimination based on sexual orientation, and various officials have spoken in support of gay athletes. The NBA recently sent out a memo reminding teams interviewing players entering the NBA draft not to include questions about religion, race and sexual orientation.
"This has been our policy for years, and we strongly support the N.H.L.'s approach to it, and it's our fervent hope that this draws less attention, not more, when a player eventually comes out," David Stern, the N.B.A.'s commissioner, said. "We've included training in our rookie program, worked with" the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, "and Grant Hill and Steve Nash have done television spots. We've made our views known to players who have expressed inappropriate views."
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