The fist Hockey Player Co Come Out Gay in Denmark, 27 Yr Old Jon Lee-Olsen
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| Jon Lee-Olsen |
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The 27-year-old becomes the first professional male ice hockey player to come out as gay in Denmark and joins Lars Peter Karlsson of Sweden and Brendan Burke of Canada as the third openly gay professional ice hockey player in the world, per TV 2.
“There’s a risk that some people might shout and heckle me while I’m playing matches. It’s something I have to be ready for and be mature about. But I feel that I’m ready to show that you can be gay and play ice hockey,” said Lee-Olsen. “It took longer than I expected, but now I’m ready to stand up for myself and others.” Note: He spoke in Danish, which we translated to English for Outsports readers.
While the NHL has been doing more in recent years to show support of its fans in the LGBTQ community, there’s never been an out man in the NHL. Still, Danish NHL player Lars Eller of the Washington Capitals has shown full support on Lee-Olsen’s coming out, hoping that his actions will inspire others in their sport to come out too. “It’s special. You might say that about any sport, but ice hockey has a very macho culture, so I think it must not have been an easy decision for him. It’s very brave.”
Unlike women’s pro hockey which is home to a number of out players and wide LGBTQ acceptance within the NWHL, Lee-Olsen’s coming out represents a meaningful shift for men’s hockey and inspiring courage in gay boys and men aspiring to be in the NHL one day.
You can watch the full interview (in Danish) with Lee-Olsen on TV 2 PLAY.
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