This year, women’s ice hockey is leading the Olympics in out LGBTQ visiblity, especially the Canadian women’s ice hockey team. Team Canada took home the gold medal in a thrilling 3-2 finals match last night against the US team and has recently received coverage for the historic number of out LGBTQ players representing Canada. This team features at least seven out LGBTQ players, the most out of all the countries competing at the Winter Games: forwards Brianne Jenner, Emily Clark, Jill Saulnier, Jamie Lee Rattray, centre Mélodie Daoust, and defenders Erin Ambrose and Micah Zandee-Hart.
Seven players on the Canadian women’s ice hockey team are openly LGBTQ, making it the gayest Winter Olympic team of all time. https://t.co/toOXzJ2C29
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 17, 2022
Canada’s gold medal-winning team reflects a larger image of increased LGBTQ representation in women’s ice hockey during this year’s Olympics. There are at least 12 out ice hockey players coming from five of the ten ice hockey teams that competed in Beijing: Canada, the US, Finland, Sweden, and the Czech Republic.
“Olympic women’s hockey demonstrates that LGBTQ inclusion is a winning strategy,” said Ross Murray, the Vice President of the GLAAD Media Institute. “These out players represent their countries well and serve as role models for the rest of the LGBTQ community.”
The other out athletes include:
US forward and silver medalist Alex Carpenter
Out ice hockey forward Alex Carpenter scored two goals in @TeamUSA‘s opening 5-2 win against Finland. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/cb0npfv15U pic.twitter.com/6QGd51rmIQ
— GLAAD (@glaad) February 3, 2022
Finnish defender and bronze medalist Ronja Savolainen
Out ice hockey defender Ronja Savolainen helped Team Finland @OlympicTeamFI to a bronze medal win at the #Olympics https://t.co/MbiGs12JfB
— GLAAD (@glaad) February 16, 2022
Czech left-winger Aneta Lédlová
Swedish defender Ebba Berglund
Swedish defender Anna Kjellbin
Read about the history of LGBTQ athletes at the Olympics in GLAAD’s Guide to Covering LGBTQ Athletes at the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics. At least 36 out athletes are competing in Beijing this year.
###
About GLAAD: GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.
- Log in to post comments