People Celebrate Gay Couple's Kiss at LA Kings Game
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During a LA Kings game against the Toronto Maple Leafs last week, a gay couple was featured on the "Kiss Cam" for the first time ever at an NHL game, the Daily Mail reports.
If you've ever been to a major sports game, then you probably know what the "Kiss-Cam" is. It's a favorite thing to do at sports arenas whenever there is a lull in game-time action. Cameras scan the crowd, find two fans sitting next to each other and encourage them to kiss each other for all to see on the Jumbotron.
However, in the past it has been criticized for reinforcing "heterosexual norms" and excluding gay people. As Slate writer Mark Joseph Stern pointed out, "At worst, it mocks same-sex affections and creates an atmosphere of homophobia."
Related: This Gay High School Basketball Player Has a Message For the Bigots Who Snubbed Him
But last week, that all changed.
Brandon Parr and Andy Evans were at Staples Center cheering on the LA Kings, when the "Kiss-Cam" landed on them. When they realized what happened, the two passionately went in for a kiss and the crowd went wild.
"It was a particularly sweet night since the Kings were playing and beat my hometown Toronto," Parr told Outsports. "My parents and siblings live in L.A. but the rest of my family think I am a terrible traitor for being a Kings fan; I've lived in L.A. for 17 years."
Facebook/Brad Parr - facebook.com
Related: Who's Really to Blame for Homophobia in Sports?
Although this is reportedly the first time that a gay couple was featured on the "Kiss-Cam" at an NHL game. Gay couples have been featured on the "Kiss-Cam" in other major sports. Outsports reports that last year a gay couple was put on the "Kiss-Cam" during a Los Angeles Dodgers game. That crowd also erupted in applause.
Some major sports teams such as the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers have made efforts to embrace the LGBT community. Both sports teams have hosted "LGBT Pride Night."
Despite these bright moments, in general, sports leagues are slow at warming up to the idea of homosexuality in sports.
During the 2014 NFL draft, Michael Sam — the first openly gay football player--received criticism from players and former players after he kissed his boyfriend on live television, according to CNN. But even among the criticism, President Barack Obama congratulated Sam for being a example for the LGBT community.
"The President congratulates Michael Sam, the Rams and the NFL for taking an important step forward today in our Nation's journey," the White House said in a statement, CNN reported. "From the playing field to the corporate boardroom, LGBT Americans prove everyday that you should be judged by what you do and not who you are."
