NHL player Luke Prokop announced on Twitter & Instagram that he is gay. Prokop is the first active NHL player under contract to come out as gay. Prokop is 19 years old & from Edmonton, Alberta. He was selected by the Nashville Predators in the third round of the 2020 NHL draft & signed a three-year contract with the Predators in December. Prokop stated, “While the past year & a half has been crazy, it has also given me the chance to find my true self. I am no longer scared to hide who I am. Today I am proud to publicly tell everyone that I am gay. It has been quite the journey to get to this point in my life. From a young age I have dreamed of being an NHL player & I believe that living my authentic life will allow me to bring my whole self to the rink & improve my chances of fulfilling my dreams. I hope that in sharing who I am I can help other people see that gay people are welcome in the hockey community, as we work to make sure that hockey truly is for everyone." Rich Ferraro, GLAAD Chief Communications Officer concluded, “Luke’s coming out is another milestone for LGBTQ visibility in sports that is being met with support & affirmation from league officials. By speaking out, Luke has created an inspiring moment for all young hockey fans to see they can be their authentic selves & achieve any dream. This has already been a historic year for out LGBTQ people in sports, including Carl Nassib’s coming out in the NFL, Kumi Yokoyama in soccer & record representation at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. It sends an unequivocal message of support & acceptance to LGBTQ youth in every field and arena, that you belong & you are valued, just as you are.”
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