Vancouver Canucks to celebrate '2SLGBTQIA+ community' by hosting drag show before 'Pride Night' game
Some NHL teams are reportedly opting out of "Pride Night" festivities. However, the Vancouver Canucks are going all in on promoting an LGBTQ agenda, including a drag show performance for hockey fans of all ages.
The Canucks will host the team's "Pride Night" before Friday's game against the Calgary Flames. The "Pride Game" will "celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community." The hockey team defined 2SLGBTQIA+ as "two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and additional sexual orientations and gender identities."
Before the "Pride Game," the Canucks will host the "Pride Party on the Plaza." The LGBTQ-themed event will feature a drag show with Vancouver drag queens Mx.Bukuru, Carrie Oki Doki, Xanax, and Jerrilynn Spears. There will also be a musical performance by Queer as Funk — "Vancouver's hottest, queerest event band."
During the game, the drag queens will have a special section inside the Rogers Arena. The team will sell LGBTQ merchandise, and the proceeds will go to You Can Play — an organization that "works to ensure the safety and inclusion for all who participate in sports, including 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes, coaches, and fans."
"The opportunity to celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is very important to our entire organization," said Michael Doyle, president, Canucks Sports & Entertainment, Business Operations. "Pride night and all the incredible activities that highlight this evening, is special for a number of reasons. Besides raising awareness and understanding, it also lets our fan base know that everyone is welcome here at Rogers Arena. Our club believes strongly in diversity and inclusion, and we look forward to celebrating these core values with our community."
The Vancouver players will be asked to wear an LGBTQ-themed hockey warmup jersey.
In recent months, there have been several NHL players who have declined to wear the pride-themed jerseys.
A Buffalo Sabres player nixed wearing the pride jersey this week.
Two Florida Panthers players refused to wear the LGBTQ jerseys because they said it goes against their Christian beliefs.
A San Jose Sharks player opted not to wear the special jersey because of his Christian faith.
Philadelphia Flyers player Ivan Provorov was the first member of the NHL to reject the LGBTQ jersey this year.
The Chicago Blackhawks ditched wearing pride-themed jerseys, citing the jerseys could put their Russian players in danger.
The New York Rangers scrapped the idea of their hockey players wearing the pride jerseys in January.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said this week that the professional hockey league would evaluate whether to continue hosting "Pride Night" events in the future.
Bettman told CTV News, "This is the first time we’ve experienced that, and I think it’s something that we’re going to have to evaluate in the offseason. This is one issue where players for a variety of reasons may not feel comfortable wearing the uniform as a form of endorsement."
Bettman described the outrage over NHL players refusing to wear pride jerseys as a "distraction."
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City planning rainbow crosswalk to honor '2SLGBTQIA+ community' disables comments on Twitter post about the project
The City of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, is planning to create a rainbow crosswalk in a show of support for those who identify a "2SLGBTQIA+."
Guelph posted a tweet on Monday soliciting comments from the public about how the city can make people feel safe as well as celebrated — the tweet includes the link to a site where people can share their thoughts. On Tuesday, the city appended another post announcing that comments had been disabled on the tweet.
"We’re installing a rainbow crosswalk this month and we want to hear what you need from us as a City to feel included, safe and celebrated in Guelph. Comments are anonymous. Let us know here by May 14," the city tweeted on Monday, providing a link to the haveyoursay.guelph.ca website. "We have turned off comments on this post to ensure that all those who view it can do so in an environment that is respectful to all," the city added in a tweet on Tuesday.
The city offers a "Safe Space Comment Box" on the website where people can provide their opinions about how the city can make people feel as though they are "included, safe and celebrated."
"Inspired by similar installations in other cities worldwide, Guelph citizens requested the City consider the installation at a prominent location in close proximity to downtown. Also, a petition in 2021 garnered over 1900 signatures in support of the rainbow crosswalk," the website claims.
The city is soliciting stories and images from the public about what the crosswalk will mean to them. Guelph is also inviting people to explain how they believe the city should celebrate the launch of the crosswalk.
"For inclusion, the design of the crosswalk is based on the progress flag. The main section of the flag includes the traditional Pride coloured stripes representing life, healing, sunlight, nature, harmony/peace, and spirit. The edge of the flag includes blue and pink stripes to represent the trans community, a brown stripe to represent people of colour, and a black stripe to represent those lost during the AIDS crisis. These are in a chevron shape, with arrow points to the right to indicate forward movement, while set on the edge to show progress still needs to be made," according to the website.
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