Zach Sullivan, an active hockey player in the UK's top tier EIHL who publically came out as bisexual in 2020, has shared his view on the continued discussions around Heated Rivalry. I think some people could benefit from at least taking his stance into consideration.
And before you make the same mistake as those on the platform he originally posted it on and jump in to defend a fiction-centric medium over the lived experience of a man who has been affected by its very theme in real life: stop.
It is not an attack on the show. He's merely adding his voice to a conversation while being critical of the show's reception and inadvertent repercussions.
(re: people around the sport ascribing the show more impact than it actually has, claiming it would lead to more acceptance or athletes choosing to "come out")
A topic which former player Brock McGillis has also picked up on with a similar stance prior.
↓ full transcript of his post below ↓
I am one of only two active male professional ice hockey players that has publicly come out as LGBTQ+, and this show has dragged up a lot of personal trauma.
It feels, at times, like parts of my life are being played out in front of me on the big screen. I don't know if that makes me feel angry, upset, ‘acknowledged', or happy. I'm deeply conflicted.
I love this show for what it brings to the LGBTQ+ community and how it challenges the world of ice hockey to be better. At the same time, I hate this show, for the personal trauma that I have relived through every second of watching it.
It felt like I was watching two (very talented, and undeniably handsome) actors, act out parts of my life.
I have no doubt whatsoever that this show will help so many struggling LGBTQ+ people, it gives our community something that we missed out on growing up.
Normalising an LGBTQ+ relationship in male sports - the fear of your parents and teammates finding out - the palpable relief as you realise your parents still love you.
And most of all the hope you feel that actually - it might all be okay.
I love that the LGBTQ+ community has a TV romance with all of the nuances and complications that come along with that, whilst trying to capture the lengths that 'closeted' LGBTQ+ athletes go to, to keep their sexuality a secret.
I especially love that the community that I am proudly a part of want to come and watch the game that I love - I love the vested interest in the sport that I have played my whole life.
I love that this show challenges the hetero-normativity of male professional sports.
I think that progress has been made in the right direction for a "gay hockey show" to air, and be received in a mostly positive light.
But...
The show is good. However, I feel as if the psychological and mental trauma that a 'closeted' LGBTQ+ athlete lives through in a hyper- masculine and overtly homophobic sport has been totally disregarded.
The psychological impact that 'conformity' has on young male athletes, the culture, the 'moulding' of young athletes to be robotic and conform to a culture, to change their personalities to 'fit in’.
To create another 'hockey bro' that will only ever think or act for "the greater good of the team".
The fact that hockey players are told from a young age to "suck it up”, “man up” and taught to never talk about their emotions- let alone their sexuality.
I'm in utter disbelief at the disparity between how professional ice hockey is, in real life, versus how it is portrayed in the show.
The language in the locker room, the body language of players, even down to the smaller details of Hollander wearing blue laces in the opening 'hockey' scene. The summer workouts of - chest press and long distance running, Hunter taking 2 hour runs on game days. The pre game speeches by Rozanov.
None of which are accurate representations of the day to day life of a professional ice hockey player.
The effort that you go to, to keep your sexuality a secret - the coping mechanisms, the extra effort to 'fit in' - to be 'one of the boys', the coverups, the non stop lies, the bags under your eyes at every practice due to lack of sleep, the stress and strain on personal relationships and friendships, the sheer exhaustion of 'acting straight' so you'd never be 'found out'.
The overwhelming terror of someone even thinking that you might not be straight. The panic if anyone ever called you 'gay' even as a jest or jibe.
The day to day actions, language and behaviour that you choose to do, so these things never happen.
The lack of thought that the show puts in to the journey that a young LGBTQ+ athlete goes through is epitomised by the restaurant scene.
This scene is the living embodiment of my worst nightmare - Being called out, face to face regarding your sexuality - I would have bolted out of the restaurant in two seconds flat, never to speak to that person again.
This is something I would have ran screaming from, not something I would calmly respond to by saying "the thing is, I prefer to be the hole rather than the peg".
I publicly came out 6 years ago as bisexual, being the first active male professional hockey player to come out as LGBTQ+.
I still struggle today. The daily battles of 'casual' homophobic language. 'Acting tough' by choosing to play through injuries that I shouldn't.
Making sure that I don't do or say anything that could potentially make my teammates feel uncomfortable. People that would have my back in any situation.
I feel Heated Rivalry made a conscious decision to play a gay romance inside of the world of professional ice hockey, but portrayed that setting without thinking of the recourse it would cause.
[There's been 3 active out queer players. He forgot about Jon Lee-Olsen, who came out a year prior.]
With everything that's been going on lately, here's a short non-comprehensive accumulation of things that could be called progress regarding relations between men's hockey and being queer:
The 🇦🇺 AIHL's Melbourne Mustangs, advocating for trans rights in sports since 2017, and the same team in 2023, donning pride jerseys designed by former goalie (and twin sister of Ty) Tia Wishart who is part of the LGBTQ community.
Jase Polglase of the AIHL's Central Coast Rhinos who puts pride tape on his stick every single game.
Robert Dowd and Marc-Olivier Vallerand having a dance after a win with the Sheffield Steelers.
Starting off with individual efforts, the 🇬🇧 EIHL has since extended their pride event to the duration of a full weekend following a conjoint initiative by the teams' fanbases in 2019.
Zach Sullivan, one of the few out queer athletes in the sport, felt supported enough by his team to come out as bisexual ahead of the Manchester Storm's pride game in 2020.
Danish goalie Jon Lee-Olsen came out as gay a year prior and was reportedly supported by his teammates.
The 🇸🇪 SHL lead the way, awarding the cause a full week since 2019 with elaborate campaigns and getting refs as well as coaches involved. It's a colorful sight.
While Pride Games are at present not an official part of the schedule, several 🇩🇪 DEL teams are joining in. Augsburg and Köln do their part, Berlin has one of the dedicated queer fanclubs and visibly stands against homophobia since at least 2016.
As of 2022 the entire league, as well as a growing number of clubs in the tiers below, cooperate with Hockey is Diversity e.V.. So does the Para Ice Hockey National Team, including Jörg Wedde, who also keeps pride tape on his equipment.
🇫🇮 Liiga's TPS added these stunning jerseys to the mix.
While all the aforementioned teams already wear the jerseys for at least one full game, IF Kiruna of the Swedish 3rd league stepped it up several notches. In 2014 they've decided to wear rainbow jerseys for a full season in support of the LGBTQ community. Since then they've made the rainbow a permanent fixture in their logo and club identity.
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Plenty of clubs out there hosting events where queer people are given a platform and shown support in a multitude of ways that aren't merely empty words.
And even if it's not part of general discussions within a league, you've got voices who are willing to speak up.
Thank you Financial Times for making it out that women only watch ice hockey because they find the men hot and because of ice hockey romances. Such a step forward to make the games more inclusive and break stereotypes 🤩
i don't usually talk about the EIHL on here but i just want any NHL fans seeing this to know that a player on the fife flyers got injured the other day because he refused to do the warm up in a pride jersey and then got injured on ice because he didn't warm up
