©Nashville Predators
By Sarah Calise • Photos Courtesy the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Queer activists in the United States have made great strides in advancing LGBTQ+ rights, but men’s professional sports continue to be a largely oppressive sector of society, where players still feel safest staying in the closet. In recent years, the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League have worked to create an inclusive environment where marginalized people — whether they be players, staff, or fans — feel accepted and welcome, which is particularly crucial in a conservative state like Tennessee.
Since 2016, the Predators have held Pride Night in partnership with Nashville’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce. This year’s celebration will take place on April 12, and will feature a festival on the plaza in front of Bridgestone Arena, so all fans can participate in the fun and learn about local LGBTQ+ businesses and organizations.
“In every respect, we want hockey to be inclusive,” Rebecca King, Vice President of Community Relations for the Predators, said in a recent interview with Connect. “Until a night is not needed, we’re going to keep doing Preds Pride Night and keep highlighting our great partners that are members of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce.”
Some queer sports fans wonder if pride nights matter at all. “It’s tempting to be cynical about ‘Pride Nights’ and dub them as just another way for multibillion-dollar pro sports teams to draw fans to their games,” writes Alex Reimer for Outsports. It is a fair critique to make, especially with the NHL’s “Hockey is for Everyone” initiative that often seems baseless as the league continues to struggle in dealing with racist incidents toward Black players across all levels of the game. Building long-term investment in local organizations is one way teams can show their advocacy goes beyond a single game.
“We don’t want to be disingenuous. We don’t want to do an awareness night just to draw people. We want it to be all-encompassing and touch all the different areas of our game,” King told Connect. “It’s not just a front, or a thing to do because the NHL tells us to do it. We really do believe in what we’re advocating.”
While Tennessee’s state legislature has spent years filing anti-gay and anti-trans laws affecting the area’s LGBTQ+ youth, the Predators have developed a partnership and financial investment with Nashville’s Oasis Center and its Just Us program which provides programming for the city’s queer teens and middle schoolers.
The Predators organization is also in a unique position. In July 2021, Predators prospect Luke Prokop became the first active player under an NHL contract to come out as gay. The team posted a public statement in support of Prokop and has donated money to some of the charities he has been involved with during his minor league stint.
If and when Prokop makes it to the NHL level, King says the Predators are ready to give him a platform. In the meantime, current player Mark Borowiecki has been a passionate ally to the LGBTQ+ community in both his native Ontario and Nashville. He has walked in Pride parades, met with Oasis Center staff, and showed support on his social media platforms.
“I’ve been a pretty vocal supporter of Pride in the NHL. I’m not shy to wear that on my sleeve. I do have a lot of privilege as a white male who is well-off financially and plays the game of ice hockey,” said Borowiecki on an episode of The Broadscast.
Whether you are a frequent resident of Smashville or a newcomer, Predators Pride Night is always a good time. It gets bigger and better each year because Predators staff work alongside the LGBT Chamber of Commerce to grow the event, double attendance from previous years, and ultimately drown out the bigotry.
Their strategy seems to be working, too. According to Predators CEO Sean Henry, the number of negative emails about the team’s LGBTQ+ community advocacy has lessened over time, while more people have chimed in with things they’d like to see at upcoming Preds Pride Nights. “That just shows you how important it is to show support for each other because the more we do that, it’s harder for more people to be so ugly about it.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://predators.spinzo.com/22pridenight.
