SPORTS ARE FOR EVERYONE.

At LUG, we believe that sports can bring out and provide some of the best moments for people. The love for sport spans across the globe, and nobody should feel that they don’t belong. We are proud to do our part by contributing to making the sport, at all levels, a more welcoming and inclusive environment for individuals and groups within our community of varying races, ages, abilities, religions, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expressions, sexual orientations, and socio-economic status.

This past season, we have prioritized this goal of highlighting inclusivity in sport with the help of some of our amazing partners, friends and most importantly, our players. 

A HUGE thank you to Pride Tape and the You Can Play Project team for working with us, encouraging us, teaching us and supporting our goal to make our leagues, and sports overall, a more inclusive space. LUG as an organization, has just begun in the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion space as a priority, and we will continue to grow and get better at creating a safe space for everyone.  

To summarize, together with Pride Tape and the You Can Play Project, we have:

• Updated and refine LUG’s policies, training and communication regarding inclusivity and equality in our sports leagues and events

• Hosted 32 LUG All-Star Games in 25 cities in support of contributing to the conversation regarding inclusivity in sports

• Hosted 22 End of Season Banquets & Awards nights in 22 cities in support of contributing to the conversation regarding inclusivity in sports

• Raised over $1,500 for the You Can Play Project

• Accumulated 200,000+ social interactions for all LUG x Pride Tape x You Can Play material, helping introduce the message to more people 

• Given the chance to roughly 400 LUG athletes and ambassadors to wear their Pride on their sticks with Pride Tape

Pride Tape x LUG

You’ve probably heard of Pride Tape, as they have been a prominent figure in sports over the past several years especially with the NHL. We have been proud to say that the rainbow tape you see on pro athletes’ sticks, were seen on PLUGs’ sticks this year and will continue to be present for years to come. 

Pride Tape began in 2016, as a grassroots collective of individuals, academics, and community members who saw a need to help make sport more inclusive for LGBTQ2+ youth, athletes, coaches and fans. 

Pride Tape is proud to have been the pioneering tape supporting LGBTQ2+ communities and is frequently used as a symbol of inclusion at all levels of sport. Today, Pride Tape continues to grow and can now be found in 31+ countries. 

You Can Play Project x LUG

You Can Play works to ensure the safety and inclusion for all who participate in sports, including LGBTQ2+ athletes, coaches and fans. They achieve this by creating a community of allies that is able to foster a true sense of belonging. 

We have been lucky enough to have worked with the You Can Play Project. They have been a key partner in our events by helping us ensure we are following the correct steps in creating safe sporting environments. 

We have many upcoming events and plans to ensure that the LUG is following the measures necessary to polish our policies and practices in safe spaces for LGBTQ2+ athletes. 

Before we talk about some of the activities we organized alongside Pride Tape and You Can Play, we’d like to share a story submitted by one of our players. We believe it is important to encourage others to share their personal stories regarding inclusivity in sport, as it highlights important conversations and purpose in making sports a more inclusive space. This individual has given consent for us to share this story publically. 

“Three years ago I was playing hockey in a pickup league at a local recreation centre. I remember coming out as bisexual during NHL x Pride and apparently one of the opposing players who my team faced next game saw my post. 

I was chirped by the guy all game. “Hockey is for real men, not f****” 

Even after the refs warned him the player wasn’t ejected. My team just told me to “Keep your head up.” This was a full contact and game and I was the prime target [for] this player. We won the game and the opposing player refused to shake my hand. 

The next time we faced each other my team used pride tape without my knowledge and when I walked into the change room seeing all the rainbow tape brought tears to my eyes. I keep this story personal to me because I am scared of coming out in hockey. 

But this year I’m happy to have players on the Slot Rockets who accept me, for me. This was my story and I hope to inspire more in the sport.”

- BF

2021/22 Activities

This past season, we were able to incorporate the message of inclusivity in sports into several past and upcoming events and activities. Thanks to the help from Pride Tape and You Can Play, we have gained the capability to promote the message at some of the highest levels of LUG.

The 2021/22 Season All-Star Events

The LUG All-Star Games are yearly events that we host to showcase some of the most outstanding players in our league. Whether it’s their performance on the ice, leadership, community involvement or just being a great teammate, we like to use our All-Star Games as a chance to highlight some of LUG’s most remarkable. 

Every single one of the LUG All-Star Games was extra special this year, as we used them as an opportunity to promote inclusivity in sports. 

Pride Tape was used by our LUG All-Star players in the All-Star games and in the regular season so each leader could show their support. Pride Tape being available to our community leaders allowed each division to be highlighted with rainbow undertones. It was extremely special to see the amazing support from our divisions and the players within, who are amongst the next generation of leaders in the world of sports. It has been important to us to encourage LUG athletes and give our players the opportunity to show their pride!

We organized 26 All-Star Games across Canada and the USA with the help of our friends at Pride Tape and You Can Play. Together, we were able to raise over $2000 through ticket sales and donations for the You Can Play Project. Not only that, we were able to spread the message through social media, amassing over  social interactions through all of our channels for both Pride Tape and the You Can Play Project. 

The 2021/22 End of Season Banquets & Awards Nights

As per tradition, each one of our divisions had the opportunity to celebrate either another great season, or their first-ever season of LUG Sports in their community. We bring our athletes and volunteers together to have a fun night, while recognizing some of the most outstanding PLUGs and members of the community. 

New for the 2021/22 Season, we have added an award that was inspired by the NHL Awards, named the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award. This award is given out to the individual who showed the most impactful community involvement - whether it is being an ally in the LGBTQ+ space, being a supportive teammate, and overall a leader that we should all be looking up to. The award is given out to "recognise the individual who has worked to make a positive impact on his community, culture or society to make people better through hockey”. 

This award is named after Willie O’Ree, the first black player in the National Hockey League. Willie O’Ree is a pioneer in introducing and promoting inclusivity in sports, as he helped bring the preseason diversity training seminar, and is the NHL’s Diversity Ambassador. Willie O’Ree continues to travel across North America to promote messages of inclusion, dedication and confidence to schools and hockey programs. It is an honour to pass this award along in his name. 

We thank Pride Tape and the You Can Play Project for continuing to support us and educate us throughout the planning and execution of our LUG Awards Banquets, by helping us create inclusive spaces. 

Here are some PLUGs that decided to show their PRIDE on their sticks (or helmets). Here are a couple of our favourite Tape Jobs.

About Pride Tape

Pride Tape began in 2016, as a grassroots collective of individuals, academics, and community members who saw a need to help make sport more inclusive for LGBTQ2+ youth, athletes, coaches and fans. 

Pride Tape is proud to have been the pioneering tape supporting our LGBTQ+ communities and is frequently used as a symbol of inclusion at all levels of sport. 

Today, Pride Tape continues to grow and can now be found in 31+ countries. 

6 Colours and 6 Powerful Words Pride. Resilience. Courage. Leadership. Change. You. 

Resources from Pride Tape

Pride Tape | NoHomophobes.com |TransAthlete.com 

About the You Can Play Project

The You Can Play Project works to ensure the safety and inclusion for all who participate in sports, including LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches and fans. This is achieved by creating a community of allies that is able to foster a true sense of belonging. 

This becomes possible when sports teams sharpen the focus on the person’s skills, work ethic, and competitive spirit, not their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. You Can Play seeks to challenge the culture of locker rooms and spectator areas by developing a culture of respect, in every player, coach and fan.

Resources from You Can Play

You Can Play | Make a Donation | View You Can Play’s Mission & Background to share with your friends | See all You Can Play Resources to educate yourself on these important topics