Ice Hockey Team Receives Award for Stance on Homophobia

Recently the Woodstock High School Lady Thunder hockey team was named recipients of the ‘Grace Under Pressure’ award from the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS).

The team received the award for taking a stand against anti-lesbian messages posted on Facebook and the refusal of another team to shake hands after hockey games following two members making it public that they were lesbians.

The entire team was taunted with homophobic slurs but rather than react negatively they took some positive action. The team approached their school’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) and all 18 team members wore rainbow-striped pins, with the words "No Homophobia," to their games.

CAAWS chair, Nicole Smith, spoke highly of the team and the action they took towards the homophobia- “They found such an enlightened way to support their teammates, educate other people, and encourage open and honest dialogue on the issue. The way they dealt with this situation exhibited all of the elements that we established when we created this award.”

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