"We are currently seeing a surge of LGBTQ-related harassment in high school sports teams, with school districts and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association ('MIAA') increasingly unwilling to adequately intervene when discriminatory incidents arise. We have observed a noticeable spike in incidents involving homophobic slurs, locker room intimidation, team-based hazing, and harassment, particularly within school-affiliated hockey programs."
"We are concerned that this rise is a backlash to the growing visibility and popularity of the television series Heated Rivalry - and the resulting attention, commentary, and social media discourse it has generated around gay hockey players. As Heated Rivalry grows in popularity - and as it fuels conversation about hockey culture and what happens on and off the ice - we are increasingly concerned about the backlash we are now seeing in school-affiliated hockey environments across the Commonwealth."
Lawyers for Civil Rights Boston has documented a noticeable spike in LGBTQ-related harassment within Massachusetts high school sports, particularly hockey programs. The group attributes this increase to a potential backlash against the growing popularity of Heated Rivalry, a Canadian television series about two male professional hockey players that became a social media phenomenon. The harassment includes homophobic slurs, locker room intimidation, team-based hazing, and discrimination. LCR reports that school districts and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association have been increasingly unwilling to adequately intervene in discriminatory incidents. The civil rights organization has urged Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell to take action to address these concerns.
Read at LGBTQ Nation
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