When an attendee at Brock McGillis’s inclusivity presentation at Carleton University posed a pointed and transphobic question, which quickly led to two and then three follow-up remarks, it brought McGillis’ mission into focus.
McGillis, the first openly gay men’s professional hockey player, is using his life story to break down the conformity that permeates organized hockey and create positive change. He played seasons in the Ontario Hockey League and the now-defunct United Hockey League.
In November 2023, McGillis embarked on the Culture Shift Tour, a 100-day mission to reach 100 minor hockey teams across Canada. He visited Carleton Jan. 22 as an additional stop on his way through Ottawa.
McGillis has spoken to schools and sports teams about gender and sexuality inclusion in hockey for more than seven years, but he’s not losing any steam. He said now more than ever, people want hockey to evolve by spotlighting homophobia and other forms of discrimination.
“People are coming out,” McGillis said. “Everyone knows somebody and they see the struggle.”
McGillis said his tour has received widespread coverage from national news media and significant demand from additional teams and provincial hockey governing bodies.
“When we humanize issues, it doesn’t become those what-about-isms that I was asked about today,” McGillis said following his talk at Carleton. “There’s a human face there.”
As a young, closeted junior hockey player, McGillis said he experienced and participated in an insular culture that reinforced the harmful rhetoric he fights today.
“Everyone thought I had this incredible life, but they didn’t know I’d go home and cry,” McGillis said to hundreds of university students.
McGillis said the pressure to conform derailed his hockey career. It wasn’t until Brendan Burke, the son of hockey executive Brian Burke, came out as gay in 2009 that McGillis found an ally to come out to. Tragically, Burke died in an automobile accident in 2010, and McGillis slipped back into the closet.
Years went by before McGillis came out to his brother. His brother simply responded, “‘Yeah so? You’re Brock.’”
While McGillis said they weren’t the words he expected to hear, they were the words he needed to feel at ease with his identity.
Now that McGillis has been proudly out to the world since 2016, he has dedicated his time to creating the inclusive spaces he never had, with recent support from major sponsors including the NHL, Canadian Tire and Scotiabank.
Creating shifts
Though nearly everyone in the Ravens’ Nest gymnasium raised their hand when McGillis asked if they knew someone who identified as being part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, a handful of attendees expressed homophobic and transphobic ideas during the presentation.
But there was a palpable discomfort in the audience. McGillis said he’s often faced at least one or two similar disturbances during his talks.
“It’s a really small number,” McGillis said. “They’re just loud.”
McGillis said some people aren’t interested in engaging in conversations or learning from others’ lived experiences. Still, his talks and activism aim to ease the burden for those without the emotional bandwidth to constantly defend their identity and existence. He said this can be achieved when individuals decide to make “shifts” to change their culture for the better.
He said these shifts are as simple as condemning homophobic language in the locker room.
“We all have to follow our own moral compass in life,” McGillis said. “I can talk about impact but it’s ultimately up to them.”
Kat Ferguson, one of two co-ordinators for Ottawa Pride Hockey, said safe and inclusive spaces ensure players can be themselves and enjoy the sport they love.
The inclusive hockey club plays in the Carleton Adult Hockey League. Though they currently play against men’s teams, they are in the process of creating their own division. They chose Carleton Athletics because of its inclusion policy, which they said many associations lack. The policy ensures “transgender, nonbinary, and gender diverse members of the Carleton community feel supported and included when accessing athletics programming.”
“We knew we were bringing our athletes to a safe space,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson always loved hockey, but when they started transitioning, they said they felt nervous in the locker room. Assigned female at birth, Ferguson grew up playing in both girls’ and boys’ leagues.
They said there’s a double standard between being perceived as a gay man versus as a gay woman.
“The safety factor came to mind for me for the first time in my life when presenting as male,” Ferguson said.
Many gender non-conforming athletes shared similar feelings as Ferguson. Some had stopped playing altogether because of harassment, until they joined Ottawa Pride Hockey.
“Being able to bring your whole self to a sport makes you such a better person and athlete,” Ferguson said. “You don’t have to think about anything else when you’re playing.”
Britt Neron, Ottawa Pride Hockey’s other co-ordinator, agreed.
“It’s almost a space where your gender identity and sexuality is the least interesting thing about you,” they said.
While Neron said people often believe Ottawa Pride Hockey struggles with balancing player size and strength differences, they added it’s untrue and can be intentionally or unintentionally perpetuating harmful stereotypes and tropes.
According to Neron, McGillis’ work to humanize the gender sexuality discourse in hockey is crucial in addressing misinformation about the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, especially when many harmful opinions are informed by ignorance.
The conversations McGillis encourages can be sprouting grounds for change. Ferguson said cisgender men who join their games often ask how they should act in a coed locker room.
“Just don’t bend over in front of anybody, that’s a common courtesy,” Ferguson said with a laugh.
‘We’re celebrating something that we haven’t created space for’
Last year, Neron and Ferguson witnessed a homophobic slur during a game that officials failed to address due to a lack of training and protocols. According to Ferguson, while minor hockey associations have developed plans to address hate speech, many adult leagues lag behind.
McGillis said homophobic and transphobic comments often come from fear of the unknown instead of hatred. But he said as more people interact and engage with members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, the easier it becomes to overcome stigmas and ignorance.
Accordingly, McGillis said real change is deeper than NHL teams hosting “performative” Pride nights when athletes sport rainbow jerseys and tape once a year. As an invitee to the Ottawa Senators’ Pride nights, Ferguson agrees.
“Just showing up with a rainbow is not helping anyone,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson called on NHL teams to do more within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and be more proactive in shifting hockey culture.
Neron added that changes must be made internally at the organizational level to make spaces safer and more hospitable for queer and trans people.
McGillis said he’s glad the hockey world is finally on notice, but the puck has yet to cross the goal line.
“We’re celebrating something that we haven’t created space for within men’s team sport,” he said. “It’s like having the parade before winning the Cup.”
This article’s co-authors are in a relationship.
Featured graphic by Angel Xing.
