Brock McGillis is a former OHL and professional hockey player, and he is said to be the first openly gay men’s professional hockey player.
McGillis was born on October 1, 1983 in Coniston, Ontario, Canada. He was a goaltender during his time playing ice hockey, and he played for a couple of teams, including Concordia Stingers, Duindam Wolves Den Haag, Kalamazoo Wings, Windsor Spitfires, and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
The 40-year-old Canadian ice hockey veteran graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Sports Communication from the Laurentian University. Not to mention, he also has an EDI certification from Cornell University.
In a 2019 interview with The Hockey News, McGillis recalled the first time he realized that he is gay, sharing:
“I remember being six years old, and my parents were watching a movie, and there was a gay character, and I said, ‘What if I’m gay?’ And they said, ‘If you’re gay, you’re gay. You’re Brock. We love you.’ And I went to my room and cried.”
He further noted that nobody knew that he is gay “until I was in my late 20s.”
“Nobody knew I was gay. Nobody in my daily life, nobody in the sport until I was in my late 20s. I came out to family and friends in my late 20s. I started dating men at 23,” McGillis shared.
He also pointed out that “it was difficult to be gay in hockey.”
“Especially in men’s hockey. I mean the language, the attitudes, (and) the behaviors in the locker room. We’re not very welcoming,” the former goaltender expressed.
Moreover, he publicly came out as gay in 2016 after he retired, and has been an activist for LGBTQ+ issues regarding North American ice hockey, as well as fighting homophobia in sport in general.
Speaking of which, the former ice hockey player opened up about the NHL Pride tape issue, where players were banned from wearing Pride-themed jerseys and other “specialty” items aimed to raise awareness for various causes during warm-ups.
“When players didn’t wear jerseys, frankly, from my perspective, I looked at it and said they have the freedom of choice not to. And I’m ok with that, and I’d rather know,” he stated in a recent interview with CTV News.
McGillis further expressed,
“I don’t want fake inclusion. I don’t want people to pretend their inclusive, wear a jersey for a night and actually be anti-LGBTQ+, or anti-any group.”
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, brockmcgillis.com, thepinknews.com, ctvnews.ca, thehockeynews.com
I just love reading about gay athletes. As one myself their stories always encourage me.