Sports
NHL expands engagement efforts including Pride participation
Straight ally Braden Holtby greeted fans at this month’s Capital Pride parade
Hockey is for Everyone, the National Hockey League’s (NHL) cultural campaign, has evolved in a significant way over the past year. Originally an annual one-month campaign in February, the NHL shifted their strategy to a year-round community program for long-term engagement.
Hockey is for Everyone uses the game of hockey and the League’s global influence to drive positive social change and foster more inclusive communities. NHL stakeholders guide the conversation at the league level and the campaign amplifies what NHL teams are already doing.
A few examples of targeted campaigns are Black Hockey History in February, Girls and Women in Hockey in March and Pride in June.
“The evolved cultural campaign is providing a consistent drumbeat of inclusion that doesn’t feel transactional,” says Jessica Berman, NHL vice president of community development. “We needed to go deeper and the intended impact is to inspire others to think about how they show up for historically marginalized groups.”
In celebration of Pride Month this year, all 31 NHL teams participated in events including parades and festivals across North America and the League is continuing its partnership with You Can Play, an advocacy organization that fights homophobia in sports.
The representation from the NHL teams this month at Pride Parades has been a mix of staffers, general managers and active players.
Minnesota Wild’s J.T. Brown, Nashville Predator’s Roman Josi, Toronto Maple Leaf’s Morgan Rielly, New Jersey Devils’ Kurtis Gabriel and Washington Capitals Braden Holtby all marched in their respective city’s parades this month.
Holtby was once again joined by his wife Brandi and it marked his third time marching in the Capital Pride Parade. He missed last year’s celebration due to the Caps final game in their Stanley Cup win happening just two days before the parade.
As part of the new cultural campaign, the NHL has begun sharing stories and videos of people whose stories represent a cross-section of the community.
“It was important for us to become more intentional about the stories we are sharing to educate the hockey stakeholders on the intersection and commonality in the hockey communities,” Berman says. “We want to give these individuals the opportunity to go deeper and talk about their challenges and barriers.”
Included in the Pride stories was New Jersey Devils’ Kurtis Gabriel who wrapped his hockey stick in Pride Tape in February as an act of LGBTQ solidarity. He decided to leave the tape on his stick for the remainder of the season.
As Gabriel says in the video, “The outpouring of support from people was unbelievable and immediate. … It shows how such a small thing can go a long way. … I was raised by my mom to treat people the way you want to be treated. … It’s just common human empathy to be able to do this.”
Berman points to You Can Play as a critical partner in using the correct language and establishing best practices for engaging LGBTQ people.
“The NHL teams have been progressive in their thinking and have embraced the LGBTQ initiative,” Berman says. “It’s important for the teams to show up in LGBTQ spaces instead of expecting the opposite and we will continue to grow these relationships.”
Sports
‘Heated Rivalry’ stars to participate in Olympic torch relay
Games to take place next month in Italy
“Heated Rivalry” stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will participate in the Olympic torch relay ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics that will take place next month in Italy.
HBO Max, which distributes “Heated Rivalry” in the U.S., made the announcement on Thursday in a press release.
The games will take place in Milan and Cortina from Feb. 6-22. The HBO Max announcement did not specifically say when Williams and Storrie will participate in the torch relay.
The Washington Capitals will host Pride Night on Saturday, Jan. 17, when they host the Florida Panthers at Capital One Arena. A special ticket offer featuring a Pride-themed Capitals rainbow jersey is available at washcaps.com.
Fans are invited to a pre-game Block Party at District E beginning at 5 p.m. The event will feature a performance by the band NovaKane. Specialty happy hour food and beverages will be available, as well as giveaways. There will also be a presence by several local LGBTQ+ community organizations.
Egypt
Iran, Egypt object to playing in Seattle World Cup ‘Pride Match’
Game to take place on June 26
Iran and Egypt have objected to playing in a “Pride Match” that will take place in Seattle during the 2026 World Cup.
The Egyptian Football Association on Tuesday said it told FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström in a letter that “it categorically rejects holding any activities related to supporting (homosexuality) during the match between the Egyptian national team and Iran, scheduled to be held in Seattle, USA, on June 26, 2026, in the third round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.” Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran President Mehdi Taj told ISNA, a semi-official Iranian news agency that both his country and Egypt “protested this issue.”
The 2026 World Cup will take place in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The draw took place at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 5.
Iran is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death.
The State Department’s 2023 human rights report notes that while Egyptian law “did not explicitly criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, authorities regularly arrested and prosecuted LGBTQI+ persons on charges including ‘debauchery,’ prostitution, and ‘violating family values.’” Egyptian authorities “also reportedly prosecuted LGBTQI+ individuals for ‘misuse of social media.’”
“This resulted in de facto criminalization of same-sex conduct and identity,” notes the report.
The 2024 human rights report the State Department released earlier this year did not include LGBTQ-specific references.
Soccer has ‘unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs’
The June 26 match between Iran and Egypt coincides with Seattle Pride. The Washington Post reported the Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 Local Organizing Committee decided to hold the “Pride Match” before last week’s draw.
“As the Local Organizing Committee, SeattleFWC26’s role is to prepare our city to host the matches and manage the city experience outside of Seattle Stadium,” said SeattleFWC26 Vice President of Communications Hana Tadesse in a statement the committee sent to the Washington Blade on Wednesday. “SeattleFWC26 is moving forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament, partnering with LGBTQ+ leaders, artists, and business owners to elevate existing Pride celebrations across Washington.”
“Football has a unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs,” added Tadeese. “The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the nation’s largest Iranian-American communities, a thriving Egyptian diaspora, and rich communities representing all nations we’re hosting in Seattle. We’re committed to ensuring all residents and visitors experience the warmth, respect, and dignity that defines our region.”
The 2034 World Cup will take place in Saudi Arabia.
Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death in the country. The 2022 World Cup took place in neighboring Qatar, despite concerns over the country’s anti-LGBTQ rights record.
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