Penalty Flag: Madison Square Garden hockey fans

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Taking a look at the homophobic side of sports.

At New York Ranger's hockey games the testosterone really gets pumping, tensions are high and the occasional fight breaks out; and that's just in the stands. 

Anyone who's ever been to a major league sporting event knows some times the crowds can get out of hand.  But for many Ranger hockey fans the anti-gay remarks are not only uncalled for but are the reason they have stopped going to the games.

In a recent article in The New York Times, gay fans talked about the tension they feel when attending some of the games.

Ray Stankes, 50, of Bayside, Queens, said he canceled season tickets he had had for 25 years in part because of the antigay environment.

“This is a place where I grew up, and I never really felt uncomfortable at the Garden,” Stankes said. “I didn’t wear it on my sleeve that I’m gay. If I take a friend who is also gay who, for lack of a better term, is not as masculine, I’m always sitting there a little tense. Like, is somebody going to say something to us? And it’s made it not quite as fun as it used to be.”

Madison Square Garden isn't unfamiliar with concerns voiced by gay patrons.  An incident with two lesbian W.N.B.A fans resulted in a kiss-in demonstration, drawing national attention to the privately held stadium. 

Source: The New York Times

Originally posted by James Schend