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Why Patrick Burke continues to promote LGBTQ inclusion in sports through You Can Play

You Can Play co-founder Patrick Burke with Toronto mayor John Tory and You Can Play's Vice President, Operations & Development Jillian Svensson. (You Can Play/Twitter)

TORONTO — Patrick Burke, co-founder of the organization You Can Play, had been up since 4 a.m. He did a TV appearance on a Toronto morning show. He rang the bell at the Toronto Stock Exchange. He did interviews throughout the day. All this running around was to promote the launch of an apparel line by You Can Play, the group Burke founded that works to eliminate homophobia in sport, and the CFL.

In the evening, at an event celebrating the partnership at a restaurant downtown, with Burke and many others in attendance, Toronto Mayor John Tory stood behind a podium and announced that the day, June 18, 2016, would forever be known as “You Can Play Day” in Canada’s largest city.

It was a rewarding finale to the day for Burke and acted as the latest reminder of both the importance and necessity of the work he and his organization does for LGBTQ athletes, the LGBTQ community and the sports industry overall.

Back in 2012, Burke founded the group, along with Brian Kitts and Glenn Witman. It was formed in honour of Burke’s younger brother Brendan, who, as the student manager of the Miami of Ohio University men's hockey team in 2009, announced he was gay. Tragically, he died in a car accident one year later.

Since its inception, You Can Play has worked to create a culture of safety and inclusion for everyone in sports, including LGBTQ athletes, coaches, staff and fans. It promotes the simple message, “If you can play, you can play.” First written by Burke in a tribute to his late brother on outsports.com, the message is at the centre of what You Can Play is all about. In four years, the group has made great strides in the sports community, partnering with leagues such as the NHL, the CWHL, the NFL, the CFL, MLS and the Canadian Olympic Committee.

In the midst of his busy promotional day, Burke, who works for the NHL as its director of player safety and is the son of Brian, the president of hockey operations for the Calgary Flames, sat down with Yahoo Canada to discuss how the organization has impacted — and continues to impact — the sports world.

One major feat accomplished so far, he said, was the organization is now integrated into sports culture.

“When you look at athletes, they know what, You Can Play is. And when you talk to athletes, they have a general basis of understanding of what we stand for, what we mean when we talk about inclusion. We went from four years ago, where very few people in the sports world were talking about LGBT issues and when they were, they were seen as pioneers and incredibly progressive,” he said. “To now, we’re such a common part of locker-room conversations.”

Case in point, in a recent Washington Post article about Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby walking in the city’s pride parade, Holtby discussed how You Can Play’s work within the NHL has created an environment where, as Holtby put it, acceptance “is just the norm.”

This, Burke said, would not have been the case four years ago.

“It would have been a lie four years ago. It would have been, ‘How often do you guys talk about it?’ ‘It’s come up twice’ or ‘No, we don’t talk about it.’ Instead it’s become, as Braden said, because of You Can Play, it’s talked about and it’s the norm.”

CFL "You Can Play," ballcaps are shown in a handout photo. The CFL is teaming up with You Can Play on a clothing line supporting LGBTQ inclusion in sports. Hats, T-shirts and other items will be available in the colours of the CFL's nine teams and feature the You Can Play insignia. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-CFL MANDATORY CREDIT
CFL "You Can Play," ballcaps are shown in a handout photo. The CFL is teaming up with You Can Play on a clothing line supporting LGBTQ inclusion in sports. Hats, T-shirts and other items will be available in the colours of the CFL's nine teams and feature the You Can Play insignia. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-CFL MANDATORY CREDIT

Where locker rooms would have once been a hotbed for homophobia, Burke said now he has players texting him their thanks for educating them on LGBT issues. Burke also noted that when they run training for young players, who likely grew up with more exposure to the LGBTQ community, there is a sense they’re telling them stuff they already know.

“When we’ve spoken at rookie orientation program, the guys learn a lot about specific things and you can tell that they’re listening and learning, but you can also tell there’s a sense of like, ‘Yeah, no. We know.’ ‘Hey you should be nice to your gay teammates.’ And they’re kind of looking around like, ‘Yeah. Obviously. Is that your whole pitch? We’re good.’

The NHL, however, still remains the only major men’s professional sports league without a player — current or former — to come out publicly.

“I think ultimately it just comes down to the gay athletes in the NHL aren’t ready to invite us in just yet. There are players who are out in their private life, who don’t want public attention,” he said, adding Michael Sam, who had brief stints in the NFL and CFL, came out in his private life, including to his college teammates, before announcing to the public he was gay in 2014.

“The definition of what is and isn’t coming out at this point is a little blurred in the sports world, where if you’re out to your family, your friends and your teammates and haven’t done an interview about it yet, you’re still out, you’re just not publicly out,” he said.

However, when the time does come for the NHL to have its first openly gay player, Burke is confident the league is ready.

CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge (L), seen opening the Toronto Stock Exchange Thursday with You Can Play's Patrick Burke and the new line of CFL/YCP hats, spoke to 55-Yard Line about why promoting inclusion matters so much to him. (www.matchforecaster.com.)
CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge (L), seen opening the Toronto Stock Exchange Thursday with You Can Play's Patrick Burke and the new line of CFL/YCP hats, spoke to 55-Yard Line about why promoting inclusion matters so much to him. (www.matchforecaster.com.)

“We’re at the point where, I know the NHL players, fans, management, commissioner, players association, media; I know everyone involved in the NHL will happily and whole-heartedly and very proudly support the first player who comes out. I genuinely in my heart of hearts believe that he won’t have a single meaningful issue or problem when he comes out. It’s still their choice,” he said. “It’s still when they’re ready. It’s still when they want to do it and I respect their choice not to.”

As far as professional sports have come, there is still a ways to go. During a playoff game, Chicago Blackhawks’ Andrew Shaw used a derogatory gay slur after being assessed a penalty. Shaw apologized and was given a one-game suspension. Last December, NBA player Rajon Rondo directed a gay slur at an official, who later came out as homosexual himself. Rondo also apologized and received a one-game suspension.

Burke said they don’t advocate for suspensions, choosing instead to promote education to prevent these incidents from repeating. That leagues have used a two-pronged approach — suspension and education — shows a commitment to eradicating homophobia in sport.

“It really is just a matter of education and understanding and letting guys know there’s trash talk and there’s hate speech — figure out the difference,” Burke said.

When players do choose to come out to teammates, Burke said the responses he and Wade Davis, You Can Play’s executive director and a gay former NFL player, have heard about have been positive across leagues.

“I hate to toot our own horn here and plug our own motto, but it really does come down to that. ‘Hey I can improve your team and I also love men.’ All the players care about is the first part of that sentence.”