Some still insist that, notwithstanding the odds, there are simply no gay men playing in the NHL. That means that, over the years, there have probably been several hundred gay NHLers, all of whom presumably kept their sexual orientation hidden from the public. There is no reason to believe that the American population is different from others in terms of sexual orientation. If these assumptions hold then, with roughly 700 players in the NHL, we can reasonably expect at least 15 gay players in the league in any given year. Taking into account the multinational makeup of the NHL, let’s assume gay men make up half that number or 2.25% of the global population. Nonetheless, according to a 2017 Gallup study based on 340,000 interviews, the percentage of American adults identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender in 2017 was 4.5%. Admittedly, precise estimates of the gay population in the league are notoriously difficult to find. Statistically, there are now and always have been gay players in the NHL. There Are No Gay Players in the NHL.Really? Fans of the future will not accept homophobia in the sports and entertainment products they consume.
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That fan base is more progressive and more intolerant of intolerance itself. Today, hockey must reflect the changing values of its fan base. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
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If and when that happens, believe me, that person will have the full support of the commissioner’s office” (from “Gary Bettman says NHL is ready for its first openly gay player,” The Chicago Tribune, ). But I think it’s our job to create a culture and an environment where a gay player knows he is safe and welcome. It should be what’s right for him and something that he must be comfortable with. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman recognized this in 2016 when he spoke about the league’s partnership with the You Can Play organization, working to dismantle barriers met by gay athletes in sport. He said, “We certainly don’t want a player to come out for our sake.
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Related: Is the NHL Ready for a Gay Player? I believe, however, that it won’t be long before the NHL has openly gay players lacing up their skates and others working in the ranks of management and hockey operations. As with everything in life, the reason for their absence is complex. I have heard the explanations, ranging from the ludicrous (there are no “gays” in the league) to the simplistic (the game’s hateful, toxic male culture drives gay players underground).
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Not one player in the league’s 103-year existence has ever come out publicly as gay – not even in retirement. While other sports have many members of the LGBTQ+ community playing out in the open, the NHL remains an outlier. There has never been an openly gay player in the NHL.