The San Jose Sharks, a hockey team, are hosting “Pride Night” at SAP Center Saturday. Their goalie won’t be there, however, as he’s refusing to participate in an event that he sees as violating his Christian beliefs. That goalie is James Reimer. He explained his decision in a statement that was released on Twitter by the San Jose Sharks. In the statement, Reimer said:
“Under the umbrella of the NHL’s Hockey is for Everyone Initiative, the San Jose Sharks have chosen to wear jerseys in support of the LGBTQIA+ community tonight.
“For all 13 years of my NHL career, I have been a Christian – Not just in title, but in how I choose to live my life daily. I have a personal faith in Jesus Crhist who died on the cross for my sins and, in response, asks me tolove everyone and follow him, I have no hate in my heart for anyone, and I have always strived to treat everyone that I encounter with respect and kindness.
“In this specific instance, I am choosing not to endorse something that is counter to my personal conviction which are based on the Bible, the highest authority in my life.
“I strongly believe that every person has value and worth, the the LGBTQIA+ community, like all others, should be welcomed in all aspects of the game of hockey.”
A statement from Goaltender, James Reimer: pic.twitter.com/GwhWxhbmb4
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) March 18, 2023
The San Jose Sharks, for their part, released a statement on the matter as well. In the statement, the team said:
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“Continuing a long-standing commitment of allyship with the LGBTQIA+ community, Sharks Sports & Entertainment is extremely proud to host our 2023 Sharks Pride Night. This week’s events, culminating with tonight’s game against the New York Islanders, reinforce our organizations’s values and dedication to an inclusive, welcoming, and safe environment for all guests in each of our venues.
“As we Promote these standards, we also acknowledge and accept the rights of individuals to express themselves, including how or whether they choose to express their beliefs, regardless of the cause or topic.
“As an organization, we will not waver in our support of the LGBTQIA+ community and continue to encourage others to engage in active allyship.”
A statement from the San Jose Sharks: pic.twitter.com/nnhkcBS07V
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) March 18, 2023
This isn’t the first time a hockey player has chosen not to go along with the “pride” agenda recently. Flyers’ player Ivan Provorov refused to as well and, when asked why, also cited his religious beliefs. He said, “Everybody, I respect everybody’s choices. My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion. That’s all I’m gonna say. Any type of time I’m going to comment on that. If you have any hockey questions, I would I would answer those…”
Many conservatives around the country supported Provorov, so his jersey quickly sold out online.
The Flyers released a statement on the matter, saying “The Philadelphia Flyers organization is committed to inclusivity and is proud to support the LGBTQ+ community. Many of our players are active in their support of local LGBTQ+ organizations, and we were proud to host our annual Pride Night again this year. The Flyers will continue to be strong advocates for inclusivity and the LGBTQ+ community.”
The Flyers coach, John Tortorella, speaking on the matter, said “With Provy, he’s being true to himself and to his religion. This has to do with his belief and his religion. It’s one thing I respect about Provy: He’s always true to himself. That’s where we’re at with that.”
Featured image credit: By mark6mauno – https://www.flickr.com/photos/mark6mauno/25849477863/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48226264