In a move that many are calling a "don't say gay" policy, the NHL announced today that rainbow colored tape will be banned from all NHL events including pregame warmups and even team practices.
NHL Bans Pride Tape
The League sent the following statement to each team, clarifying the new rule:
"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 focus of the ban is pride tape, hockey tape that is colored in sections to create a rainbow pattern on the blade of hockey sticks. Pride tape has been a staple of NHL pride nights and queer hockey communities for many years. Historically, the tape has been used during warm-ups but the vast majority of players typically switched back to their regular preferred tape color when the game actually started. Some players however, have kept the flashy tape on for the entire game such as former NHLer Kurtis Gabriel, who was, and still is a vocal supporter of pride nights and the LGBTQ+ community within the hockey world.
Now players will no longer have the option to even suggest they support the gay community by using the tape at any NHL event. This is just another step the league has taken to silencing the LGBTQ+ community. The League infamously banned pride jerseys during warm-ups last season but in that case, players were generally required to wear the sweaters. Pride tape, however, has always been optional.
| POLL | ||
9 OCTOBRE | 236 ANSWERS MAJOR: NHL Sends A Clear Message to the League about Pride Nights Should the NHL reinstate Pride night? | ||
| Yes | 70 | 29.7 % |
| No | 166 | 70.3 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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