25, 2019, with rainbow-colored Pride Tape wrapped atop his stick in a game broadcast across Canada, will be guest players. "So we're really excited, obviously, that we've created this space for queer people, for queer hockey players, to show up and have fun," Gayle said.įormer defenseman Andrew Ference, the NHL's director of social impact, growth and fan development, and forward Kurtis Gabriel, an LGBTQ+ ally who scored a game-winning goal for the New Jersey Devils against the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. More than half of the players this year identify as LGBTQ+ whereas a quarter identified that way last year. This year, 146 participants will skate on 10 teams. Social mixers and large gatherings weren't allowed due to pandemic-related government restrictions. The coronavirus pandemic put a crimp in the inaugural Pride Classic last year, forcing organizers to scale back plans to 56 players and four teams. And we get to build our hockey community right now in real time and for everyone to feel like they can join in and be a part of it, participate, play, watch, cheer, learn a little bit about our organization, our players, but ultimately feel like they have a place in the game." "I think that's what the SPHA, the work that they're doing, is really focused on is ultimately inclusion. "We see this as an opportunity for our fans and just the larger Seattle Community to feel included in our hockey community," said Kyle Boyd, the Kraken's director of youth and hockey development. Team broadcaster and radio play-by-play announcer Everett Fitzhugh will call the championship game on Sunday. The Kraken are among the organizations and businesses supporting the event. This singular event is great to show that hockey is for everyone, and anybody is welcome." "Joey and I produce it out of the love for the community and for the love of the game and wanting to grow the game, bring more people into the game from all different walks of life. "I think people that come by as spectators are going to see how inclusive and welcoming the environment will be, but also the sense of community," said Steven Thompson, SPHA's president and co-treasurer.
The event sold out within hours and there's a waiting list for players eager to participate, Gale said.
More than 140 players from the Pacific Northwest and as far away as the Midwest and California will skate on 10 teams competing in two conferences during the tournament at the Kraken Community Iceplex, the Seattle Kraken's practice facility, on Saturday and Sunday. "And we think we're well on our way to achieving that." "The goal for this year was we really wanted to create the most premier LGBTQ hockey tournament in the country," said Gale, vice president and co-founder of Seattle Pride Hockey Association. Last month, a Vatican department apologised for "causing pain to the entire LGBTQ community" by removing from its website a link to resource material from a Catholic gay rights advocacy group in preparation for a Vatican meeting in 2023 on the Church's future direction.Joey Gale wasn't shy about what he said he expects from the second annual Seattle Pride Classic presented by Symetra. In some countries, such as the United States and Germany, parishes and ministers had begun blessing same-sex unions in lieu of marriage, and there have been calls for bishops to de facto institutionalise these.Ĭonservatives in the 1.3 billion-member Church have said the pope - who has sent notes of appreciation to priests and nuns who minister to gay Catholics - is giving mixed signals on homosexuality, confusing some of the faithful. Last year, the Vatican's doctrinal office issued a document saying that Catholic priests cannot bless same-sex unions, a ruling that greatly disappointed gay Catholics. He has also said that while the Church cannot accept same-sex marriage it can support civil union laws aimed at giving gay partners joint rights in areas of pensions and health care and inheritance issues.