Those two gentlemen there? The Vancouver Canucks fans? In the pink? For much of the game you couldn’t read the third word on their shirts, because it was covered in tape. And that blue boa proved quite distracting. But somehow this pair knew just the moment to take their tape off: when the cameras were pointed at Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault. (The backs of their shirts read “Henrietta” and “Daniella.”) What you don’t see in this clip? The two men being escorted from the game after being asked to cover up “homos,” and refusing.
“The public use of any derogatory terms targeted at a specific group of people, whether based on ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation, is strictly prohibited,” says the Canucks in a statement. Which is sort of hilarious, because don’t plenty of Canadians believe “Canucks” is a derogatory term? Just like some homos think “homos” is offensive, while others throw around the word like a dodgeball?. Anyhow: “In an effort to ensure all of our guests have a positive experience it was requested that two guests cover a derogatory term on their shirts. After refusing to do so, further discussion was had between staff and the guests, which led to eviction.”
Hey, that’s a reasonable goal! But it sounds just like GLAAD getting its thong in a twist by never taking context into account.
As Henrietta, who was there celebrating his 50th anniversary, says: “We have made appearances at Gay Sports Bars in Vancouver as the Sisters … Henrietta and Daniella with great hilarity and support. This was not a stunt or done to be rude or offensive. We were there to show our and the Vancouver Gay community’s total and absolute support of our Canucks as they took the Presidents [Trophy] and begin their journey to the Stanley Cup. … We held back the word ‘Homo’ for the first two periods until we gauged the reaction of the crowd to our costumes, not wanting to be offensive.”
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[photo via Puck Daddy]
Ella
I wonder if they would throw out black men who wore shirts that said “Hockey Lovin’ ‘N-word'”…maybe they would and maybe they wouldn’t…
SaxAndViolins
If we hadn’t been so insistant about the rest of the world being politically correct and hyper-sensitive to our minority status, then this never would have happened, so we only have ourselves to blame. Way to go, PC crowd!
Robbie K
Go Vancouver Canucks!!
Love another homo fan 🙂
urmum
Two of the star players on the Canucks, the sedin twins, are named Henrik and Daniel. So wearing shirts that say “Henrietta” and “Daniella” with the player’s numbers and the words “hockey luvin homos” would almost certainly be taken as homophobic slights at the team.
I can see why they were ejected.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
because don’t plenty of Canadians believe “Canucks” is a derogatory term?
No. We only find it offensive when Americans pronounce it, Kanooks.
ChrisM
I don’t see the problem with this… If straights had been wearing a shirt with the word homos, Queerty would be upset at the stadium if they weren’t evicted. Maybe certain gays should stop using words like homo and fag. Honestly, it’s not changing the words, it just encourages the people who hate us and makes them laugh.
mattsy
celebrating their 5o th anniversary of what??
they dont look that old
phineas
Are these guys even gay? Either way, it is a tired attempt at humor.
RomanHans
SaxAndViolins, post again after you figure out how to make sense.
I’m with Phineas and Urmum. The original article says the names “Daniella” and “Henrietta” are slurs aimed at the two star players for being too soft. Which to me means these two blue-haired dudes are homophobic/misogynist (those guys play like CHICKS!), and, I’m hoping, just another example of brain-dead heterosexuals.
boom
Welp, I don’t know how a non-Canadian reader would take this article, but as a queer, Canadian, Canucks fan, I agree with the decision to oust them from the game. I was at that game, but I didn’t see their costumes–if I had, I would’ve taken offense. It looks like they’re saying “girls can’t play hockey!” at the same time as saying “gay people are funny!” I don’t care if they themselves are gay–it would’ve made me uncomfortable no matter what. So it looks like the people in charge were right–other guests like me would’ve been offended by that whole derogatory costume + name-calling. Sorry if Americans or others don’t understand this need to politely ask individuals to stop hurting whole groups, it’s how we roll in Canada.
boom
Welp, I don’t know how a non-Canadian reader would take this article, but as a queer, Canadian, Canucks fan, I agree with the decision to oust them from the game. I was at that game, but I didn’t see their costumes–if I had, I would’ve taken offense. It looks like they’re saying “girls can’t play hockey!” at the same time as saying “gay people are funny!” I don’t care if they themselves are gay–it would’ve made me uncomfortable no matter what. So it looks like the people in charge were right–other guests like me would’ve been offended by that whole derogatory costume + name-calling. Sorry if Americans or others don’t understand this need to politely ask individuals to stop harming whole groups, it’s how we roll in Canada.
Emily Hall
@ Boom I’m a straight female who has a gay brother and many gay friends (I’m out in the SF Bay Area) and I am not offended. In fact I found that their actions were empowering. In any case I did a parody of the popular History Will Be Made commercials (2011 version). I call it “Pride”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vphpJ9UE_Yk
Spencer
As a queer Hockey fan I thought the stunt was funny. But I understand the intention of the ‘Nucks organization. But it would have been worse had they chosen the F- word instead of Homo.
northvancanucks
One of the guys is Roderick J March who is a surgeon at Vancouver General Hospital.