Roger-Luc Chayer
Do you remember more than two years ago, the Canadian hockey club announced with great pomp a decision that was historic? In fact, it was the National Hockey League that had been at the initiative of the gesture, and in the process, the Montreal Canadiens, owned by Geoff Molson, announced that an ambassador for LGBT issues would be appointed and that It would be
of the player Andrew Shaw. This is news for two reasons. The first is that by doing so, the league wanted to fight homophobia in all spheres of society and the « Hockey is for Everyone » campaign allowed ambassadors from each team to participate in community educational events. The second is the surprising choice of this player, who had scooped shortly before a fine of $ 5,000 for making homophobic remarks about a referee.
Following this initiative, I wanted to communicate as a publisher of a gay media with Geoff Molson, owner of the team, on May 2, 2017, to propose to publish a very detailed special file on the news, the ‘objective being’ to inspire young people not to suffer from their homosexuality thanks to the very powerful example of Mr Shaw ‘. I first sent this letter with a copy of the magazine to the offices of the Montreal Canadiens, no answer. A few months later, I sent a message via the contact form of the Canadian website to ask for news of my letter, no answer. Finally, on September 30, 2017, I reoffended by returning my letter to Mr. Molson’s office directly at Molson in Montreal, no answer.
I find it absolutely odious that we use LGBT symbols to give ourselves a beautiful image without having the slightest politeness to respond to a gay media that wanted to talk about this unique gesture aimed at fighting against homophobia. By ignoring the demands of a gay media, Mr. Molson acted with contempt for what we represent and finally demonstrated his own homophobia. It had to be said!