“Ukwamukela—hhayi ukukhononda, ukungabekezeleli—ukwamukela.”
— UPatrick Burke
Kukhona isisho sakudala sezinhlangano zomphakathi sokuthi kwesinye isikhathi kuthatha iminyaka ukwenza izinsuku zibe nenqubekela phambili kodwa kwesinye isikhathi kuthatha izinsuku kuphela ukweqa iminyaka. Emzabalazweni wokuba yisakhamuzi esigcwele sabangane bethu be-LGBT nomndeni, ngokuqinisekile kubonakala sengathi zonke izinsuku omunye unyaka uya phambili ngesihe.
Mayelana nezwe lezemidlalo, leyo nqaba yesikhathi eside ye-homophobia, i-heteronormative socialization, kanye namahlaya “akukho homo”, sibonakala sithuthuka amashumi eminyaka ngehora. Sibone abadlali be-NFL besukuma futhi bahlelela ukulingana komshado. Sike sibone abanye abadlali begxekwa yiligi nabezindaba ngezinkulumo ezamukelwayo zokucwasa izitabane. Siyibonile imizamo esemthethweni yokuzama ukubeka isisekelo somsubathi wesilisa oyisitabane okhuthele. Sibone izinhlangano ezintsha namaphimbo esukuma ukuze azame ukwenza kabusha isiko le-jock ukuze kube amandla okufakwa kwe-LGBT esikhundleni sokuphambene nomlando. Futhi namuhla, okokuqala kwenhlangano yezemidlalo enkulu, sine-National Hockey League ethatha ukuma ngokumelene nobandlululo olumelene ne-LGBT kwezemidlalo yabo.
I-NHL kanye ne-NHLPA bamemezele ukuthi bazoba ukujoyina ubudlelwano obusemthethweni ne Ungadlala Iphrojekthi, umsebenzi wakhe oqeda inzondo yobulili obufanayo egunjini lokushintshela nasezinkundleni zokudlala. Iligi izosebenzisa ulimi oluqinile olungabandlululi, ibe nezingqungquthela zokufundisa zama-rookies, kanye nokwesekwa okuyimfihlo kwabadlali abavalelwe. Ku amazwi ka-You Can Play umsunguli u-Patrick Burke, “Namuhla kuphawula isinyathelo esingokomlando sokulingana kwe-LGBT kwezemidlalo. I-NHL kanye ne-NHLPA [NHL Players' Association] bayakhuphuka ukuze baqinisekise ukuthi umphakathi we-hockey wamukela - hhayi ukukhononda, hhayi ukubekezela - ukwamukela abadlali be-LGBT, abaqeqeshi, abaphathi noma abalandeli. Manje ngenxa yesiko lomphakathi we-hockey esisemva kwethu, singakwazi ukwenza ukufinyelela kwezemfundo okubalulekile ukusiza wonke umuntu azi ukuthi kufanele amukele kanjani. I-NHL sekuyisikhathi eside inesiqubulo esithi - 'IHockey Eyawo Wonke Umuntu.' Sizosebenzisana nozakwethu ku-NHL kanye ne-NHLPA ukuze siqhubeke nokwenza lokho kuyiqiniso.”
Kulabo abangayazi indaba yomsuka we-You Can Play, umndeni wakwaBurke ungowasebukhosini be-hockey. Ubaba kaPatrick u-Brian Burke usenesikhathi eside, isikhulu se-hockey esihlonishwa kakhulu owaba ummeli onozwela ngokumelene ne-homophobia lapho indodana yakhe uBrendan itshela umndeni wayo ukuthi iyisitabane. Ngonyaka olandelayo, uBrendan washona engozini yemoto eneminyaka engu-21 ubudala. Ngemva kokushona kukaBrendan, uPatrick waqala i-You Can Play, ehlonipha inkumbulo yomfowabo. Bebelokhu benza izimemezelo zomsebenzi womphakathi ngamunye kanye nemicimbi yokufundisa nabasubathi iminyaka eminingana. Umsebenzi wabo futhi ufika ngesikhathi njengoba amahlebezi ephikelela ukuthi umdlali we-NHL uzophuma ezinyangeni ezizayo. Kunengqondo ukuthi ngisho noGary Bettman, mhlawumbe ukhomishana omubi kakhulu emlandweni wezemidlalo, angabona umbhalo odongeni futhi aqonde ukuthi ukusebenzisana ne-You Can Play kunengqondo kule ligi.
Njengoba Bettman wathi, "Ayikho into engenziwa yinoma ngubani ezothola ukwesekwa ngazwilinye kulesi sikhathi samanje. Kufanele ukhululeke ukuthi wenza into okholelwa ukuthi ilungile. Thina njengomndeni - i-NHL, i-Players' Assn., abadlali, abasebenzi beqembu kanye nabalandeli bethu - bakholelwa kakhulu ukuthi senza into efanele."
Kuyisitatimende esimangalisayo sezikhathi zethu ukuthi ukusebenzelana okuhle komphakathi, ukuxhumana nabalandeli ngobuhlakani, kanye nokukhanga abantu abaningi kwezemidlalo kusho ukuthi ungabi umuntu ozonda ongqingili kodwa empeleni ukuthatha isinyathelo sokulwa nobandlululo. Manje u-Bettman kanye ne-NHL babeke phansi umaka ukuze amanye amaligi ezemidlalo azilandele. Ku-NFL, umqondisi omkhulu we-DeMaurice Smith weNFL Players Association ubeke igama lakhe “komsubathi kafushane” ngokulingana komshado ohanjiswe eNkantolo Ephakeme. Ngaphezu kwalokho, umdlali wasemuva uBrenden Ayanbadejo ukhulume ngakho abadlali abane ibheke ukuphuma ekhabetheni ngaphambi kokuqala kwesizini ezayo. Umnyakazo we-NHL ubeka ingcindezi yangempela kuKhomishana uRoger Goodell ukuthi alandele ukuhola kukaBettman odabeni olungaphandle kokuhlukunyezwa kwenyunyana.
Ku-NBA, abadlali bakhuluma ngokumelene ne-homophobia. Isikhulu seligi u-Rick Welts naye uphumile ekhabetheni, kanti uCharles Barkley ukhulume ngokuziqhenya ngozakwabo abayizitabane. Mhlawumbe isenzo sokugcina sikaDavid Stern njengokhomishana ngeke sisize ukususwa kwaMakhosi eSacramento noma siphinde sichoboze umphefumulo wabalandeli bakaSeattle, kodwa senze iligi yakhe iphinde ibe yindawo lapho kukhulunywa khona ngokukhululekile nokucwasa abantu abathandana nabantu bobulili obufanayo.
Ingcindezi manje isikulawa amanye amaligi kanti amaBurkes akhombisa ukuthi i-jock culture - ngawo wonke amandla ayo, intshisekelo, kanye nenqolobane yamasiko, ingaguqulwa ibe yinto enamandla futhi enhle. Yeka inkokhiso ephawulekayo kuBrendan Burke. Yeka ukunqoba kwawo wonke umuntu ophuma ekhabetheni, noma athathe uphawu futhi amashe ukushintsha isimo. Yeka usuku lokuziqhenya empini yokubuyisela ezemidlalo njengamandla okwenza okuhle okukhulu.