Bisexual Pro Hockey Star Calls Out 'Spineless' Directive Banning Pride Tape

Openly bisexual hockey player Zach Sullivan of the Manchester Storm went after NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman in the wake of Bettman's directive banning Pride tape as the new season gets underway.

The ban applies to practices and even Pride nights.

UK newspaper the Mirror reported that Sullivan lambasted Bettman, calling the directive "spineless" and saying that the tape is a gesture meant "for the fans, it's for that team-mate that might be struggling. So I was disappointed but not surprised, which is probably more damning."

Speaking with the newspaper's Sport section, Sullivan went on to say, "There are so many great people within ice hockey, not just in the UK, but in North America as well, who are trying their utmost week in and week out, trying to make it more inclusive."

"I think it's just a massive step backwards when progress is finally being made," Sullivan added, before noting "how much so many good people put into it" and calling Bettman's decision an "Ill-informed, ridiculous, pretty spineless move from this commissioner, who doesn't have a great track record when it comes to this kind of thing."

Sullivan applauded fellow players who have said they will defy the ban and continue to use Pride tape on their hockey sticks. "It's easy to show allyship when things are going well and there's team-mandated Pride Nights," Sullivan said. "It's easy to throw on a Pride jersey and use rainbow tape on those nights. But now it's inconvenient for those allies it almost resonates more than if it was on Pride Nights."

The ban follows a controversy that saw a handful of players across the league refuse to wear Pride-themed jerseys. There were also concerns that players with relatives in extremely homophobic countries like Russia might see their family members suffer if they showed such visible signs of support for the LGBTQ+ community.

But with the ban having been announced, other players are just as determined to stand up for LGBTQ+ colleagues and fans.

Edmonton Oilers teammates Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman spoke out against the ban, as have Morgan Reilly of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers alternate captain Scott Laughton, who swore to keep using Pride tape even if he had to purchase it himself.

"If they want to say something, they can," Laughton declared, "but it's not going to make a difference on what I do every night for the Pride community."

Laughton, who is also am ambassador for the You Can Play Project, said that the controversy last season over Pride jerseys "probably a little too political... when you're just trying to make it easy on people to come to games and feel welcome."

"Former league and team executive Brian Burke, a longtime advocate for the LGBTQ+ community... sharply criticized the decision that he says removes meaningful support to protect a select few who don't want to answer questions about their choices," the Associated Press reported earlier this month.

"'This is not inclusion or progress,' Burke, now president of the PWHL Players Association, said in a statement posted to social media," the AP detailed. "'Fans look to teams and the league to show they are welcome, and this directive closes a door that's been open for the last decade. Make no mistake, this is a surprising and serious setback.'"

The You Can Play Project similarly slammed the pride tape ban, issuing a statement in which it said, "It is now clear that the NHL is stepping back from its longstanding commitment to inclusion, and continuing to unravel all of its one-time industry-leading work on 2SLGBTQ+ belonging."

"We are now at a point where all the progress made, and relationships established with our community, is in jeopardy," The You Can Play Project added. "Making decisions to eradicate our visibility in hockey – by eliminating symbols like jerseys and now Pride Tape – immediately stunts the impact of bringing in more diverse fans and players into the sport."