The NHL's "Don't Say 'Gay'" Policy Affects More Than the NHL

On Monday, I reported on the NHL’s brand new “don’t say ‘gay’” policy. It’s just the latest of moves by the NHL, ratcheting up tensions between it and its fans. The debate over whether the NHL should support not only its queer fans, but employees as well, started on January 20 with Ivan Provorov refusing to wear a Pride jersey during warm ups for 15 minutes. Since then, the more conservative elements of the fan base, and the NHL itself, have been backpedaling “Hockey is for Everyone” to the point that the slogan has proven itself to be a farce. Now, Pride is just not allowed, lest seven NHL players and a small minority of the fanbase be offended. It’s been astonishing to watch in all the wrong ways. We’ve hit what feels to be a tipping point, and depending on where the NHL decides to go from here, there may be no return.