By Stevie

Brooks Orpik is yet another player to openly endorse the work of the You Can Play Project. This group is encouraging the sports community to foster an environment where gay and lesbian athletes can be open about their sexuality with their teams and fans. It doesn’t matter what your sexual orientation is. What matters if if you can play.

This week, Orpik’s video was posted to You Can Play’s Youtube site:

This makes me even more proud to be an Orpik fan.

Other notable players to speak up on behalf of You Can Play include Shea Weber, Steven Stamkos, and Zdeno Chara.

Sports and teams aren’t about your personal relationships outside of the team. They are about how well you play and how you function with your team. Most teams consider one another their second family (and for some, their first and/or only family).

It really does come down to respect. Respect the game. Respect your team. Respect your fans. No matter who or what they are, the one thing we all share in common is the love of sport.

Everyone deserves to be comfortable and open about who they are. If you would stop watching a sport or cheering for a team or a player because they came out, are you really a fan? Make hockey, baseball, football, basketball, all sports open up to letting their athletes be who they are without fear of judgement.

What’s the worst that could happen?