I am sure most people in this class are Canucks fans, and likely die-hards – and most of you likely hate the Leafs, as well. As I confessed (terrifyingly) at the beginning of the semester, I was born outside of Toronto and was born and raised a Leafs fan.
This post isn’t about the Leafs.
It’s about Brian Burke, the GM for the Leafs. In 2010, Burke’s openly gay son Brendan died in a car accident. Brian Burke has been vocal about his support for the gay community, and has marched in the Toronto Pride Parades that have occurred since Brendan’s death.
About a month ago, Burke and his other son, Patrick, launched the “You Can Play” campaign, which aims to end homophobia in hockey and – let’s up – professional sports in general. You can watch one of the first campaign videos here.