[lg policy] Philadelphia: Brian Burke supports NHL's reinforcement against homophobic slurs

[Harold Schiffman]

Brian Burke supports NHL's reinforcement against homophobic slurs

LAST UPDATED 17 hours and 32 minutes ago
Staff report Sporting News


Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds may have denied using a
homophobic slur in an on-ice scrap with the Rangers Sean Avery, but
that hasn't stopped the NHL from reinforcing its policy against such
language—or one of its top executives from supporting the move.

The league on Tuesday stressed the right of players, coaches and
officials to work in an environment "free from racially or
sexually-based innuendo or derision."

"While we recognize that the emotion involved in certain on-ice
confrontations may lead to the use of highly charged and sometimes
offensive language and commentary, certain lines cannot be crossed,"
read the statement, released by NHL senior vice president Colin
Campbell, who went on to say that such language "is absolutely
unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke is on board.

“I think the sport has to move that way, we want the game open to
everyone,” Burke told reporters at a Sens-Leaf preseason game on
Tuesday night, according to the Toronto Sun. “I think it’s an
important day.”

Burke's son Brendan, who died in a 2010 car accident, was gay—and
before his death, Brendan Burke made headlines, first by coming out
publicly, then by serving as a leading voice for tolerance in the
hockey world.

Burke marched in the 2010 Toronto Pride Parade to honor his son.

The league's statement came in response to Avery's allegation against
Simmonds, which video evidence appeared to support. Simmonds denied
using the slur, and the league opted not to punish him, citing a lack
of conclusive evidence.

Burke stopped short of condemning Simmonds, who himself was recently
the target of an apparent race-based taunt—in a preseason game last
week, a fan threw a banana peel at Simmonds, who is black, during a
shootout.

“I do think the workplace should be free of arbitrary comments like
that,” said Burke. “I believe it’s habitual and it’s got to stop. But
I don’t think Wayne Simmonds should have been suspended.”

Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2011-09-28/nhl-policy-gay-racist-slur-wayne-simmonds-brian-burke-sean-avery#ixzz1ZM2bMERM


-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to
its members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner
or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents.
Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal,
and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message.
 A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well.  (H. Schiffman,
Moderator)

For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
*******************************************

_______________________________________________
This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list
lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list