A hockey player's story of (not?) coming out

From the Concordian, the independent student newspaper from Concordia University in Montreal:

Almost 100 years after the first NHL season in 1917-18, the reputation of hockey being a “man’s sport” is still very much upheld. The sport teaches boys from a young age what it means to be a man and to be tough. With expressions like “don’t be a fag,” the sport also demonstrates some homophobic tendencies. So where, in such a “manly” sport, does a gay man fit in?

Because of the stigmas surrounding the sport, many gay players feel that it is easier for them to just stay in the closet rather than go through the hard phases of looking for tolerance and, perhaps more importantly, acceptance.

Jeff McDonald [name changed] used to play hockey at the university level. He’s played hockey since he was six years old, and has known he was gay since about the age of four. His parents were accepting and supportive from the very beginning.

Keep reading HERE.