Out UConn Hockey Team Manager Talks About the ‘Amazing Group of Guys’ on His Team
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In an essay he penned for OutSports, Gavin Parker, the openly gay University of Connecticut hockey team manager reveals his remarkable experience finding his tribe among his team members.
Parker writes, “After the initial bumps of coming out, I am lucky to be a part of such an accepting and amazing group of guys here at UConn and consider them friends. The captains make sure I feel like one of the guys, the players hang out with me at meals and on weekends and I feel comfortable making jokes with the coaches and rest of the staff. I am not alone. The rink is my second home on campus, and being able to bridge the gap and to change perceptions of stereotypes about the “unaccepting, offensive hockey bros” is one way I try to thank the guys.”
Being gay and being a member of a hockey team are not mutually exclusive, and I am proof of that.
The biggest lesson I have learned is to be confident in myself and not let fears about my sexuality hold me back. And it’s a lesson I hope someone can learn from me instead of the hard way on their own. #BleedBlue #YouCanPlay
