YCP Initiative Reaches to Minor Leagues, Too

The You Can Play Project is an initiative that aims to end homophobia in sports and allow gay athletes to be themselves in the locker room and elsewhere. Since its beginning, the project has released a number of videos featuring athletes proclaiming their support for the initiative and although it began with just NHL players, it’s now expanded to other level athletes.

The screenshot above is from one of the University of Denver’s videos on the YCP website. The men’s hockey team has announced its support, as well as the women’s gymnastics and basketball teams and the men’s basketball team.

The women’s ice hockey team at Princeton has also gotten involved, making a video of their own. The six-time Ivy League Champions became the first women’s team to speak on behalf of the project.

Other colleges and universities that have gotten involved include Northeastern University, the University of Ottawa and the UCLA ice hockey and figure skating teams. The University of Ottawa was the first Canadian university to speak on behalf of You Can Play, and its video is the first to also feature French.

The American Hockey League is also represented in the You Can Play Project, as the Manchester Monarchs have also created a video to support the initiative. The Monarchs video speaks not only about the players and teammates, but also references the fans and eliminating homophobic slurs not only in the locker room, but also in the stands.

Finally, the Ontario Hockey League has become involved, if only one team – it’s a start. The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds were the first major junior team to endorse the project, and like the Monarchs, their video also references the fans.

Although YCP remains a largely NHL project, it is (slowly but surely!) making its way to the minor leagues, and as word spreads, so too hopefully will the initiative. Watch the videos, spread the word, get it around.

Because if you can play, you can play – and if you can cheer, you can cheer.