How about these guys?
‘Hockey Luvin Homos’ turfed from Canucks game
By Neal Hall, Vancouver Sun April 1, 2011 5:17 PM Comments (1)
A pair of pink-liveried Canucks fans behind Vancouver Canucks coach Alain Vigneault at Thursday’s National Hockey League game were escorted out of Rogers Arena.
A pair of pink-liveried Canucks fans behind Vancouver Canucks coach Alain Vigneault at Thursday’s National Hockey League game were escorted out of Rogers Arena.
Photograph by: YouTube image, .
VANCOUVER — Two Vancouver Canucks fans wearing pink T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Hockey Luvin Homo" were removed from the Canucks’ Presidents’ Trophy clinching 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings Thursday night at Rogers Arena.
The two young men were also wearing red lipstick, glasses, blue wigs, large pearl necklaces and were drinking beer out of fluted, rose-coloured glasses.
The fans were sitting in the first row, right behind the Canucks bench.
At first the front of their T-shirts said "Hockey Luvin," but when a TV camera panned to Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault, the two young men removed duct tape from their shirts to unveil the word "homo."
And apparently the back of their shirts said "Henrietta" and "Daniella."
The Vancouver Canucks issued a statement today saying the young men were removed from the arena after they were asked — but refused — to cover the derogatory term for gays.
"Canucks Sports & Entertainment is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable atmosphere for all guests who enter into Rogers Arena," said the Canucks statement.
"The public use of any derogatory terms targeted at a specific group of people, whether based on ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation, is strictly prohibited. In an effort to ensure all of our guests have a positive experience it was requested that two guests cover a derogatory term on their shirts. After refusing to do so, further discussion was had between staff and the guests, which led to eviction."
But the two men, who didn't want their real names used, told the NHL blog Puck Daddy that they were both gay and "ardent Canucks fans for many long-suffering years."
"We have made appearances at gay sports bars in Vancouver as the sisters Henrietta and Daniella [Sedin] with great hilarity and support," Henrietta told Puck Daddy in an email.
"This was not a stunt or done to be rude or offensive. We were there to show our and the Vancouver gay community's total and absolute support of our Canucks as they took the Presidents’ [Trophy] and begin their journey to the Stanley Cup."
Canucks chief operating officer Victor de Bonis said today the organization has never encountered the problem before.
"I think it's unfortunate," he said. "This issue's never come up before."
But de Bonis added he has a lot of confidence in the staff who made the call to evict the pair.
"The staff are doing their best," the Canucks executive said.
He pointed out that the fact that the two men took tape off their shorts to reveal the word deemed offensive by staff "seemed like indirectly they're acknowledging the issue."
Neither of the men had phoned the Canucks to complain about their treatment at the game, de Bonis added.
"Usually if a fan is unhappy, you hear about it the next day," he said.
There are also front and back photos of the Hockey Luvin men on the Puck Daddy website (you can click here).
And a video of the fans has been posted on YouTube.
It isn't the first time hockey fans have donned weird T-shirts while sitting behind the players bench.
During a Washington Capitals game, a fan sat behind the bench wearing a red T-shirt displaying of picture of Jesus, only with Alex Ovechkin's face.
