Ask anyone, even those deemed most popular, and there will be a memory of some incident proving a sad reality: kids can be cruel. Kids can also be kind, stunningly so. But, even well-intentioned people (of all ages) often feel pressured to mock anything deemed “uncool”.<\/p>\n
Casual homophobic slurs remain easy throw-away lines, especially in the world of athletics.<\/p>\n
The Ottawa Citizen’s Saturday Observer recently recounted an uplifting example of trying to make things better: “A Gay Jock Takes Off the Mask<\/a>“. It’s about Scott Heggart who always loved hockey, football and basketball, but felt marginalized by the homophobic cracks ingrained in sporting culture. Marginalized is putting it kindly. At times, so much unthinking hostility left him wrestling with suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n Eventually, Heggart summoned the nerve to tell his parents and siblings he was gay. Together they established their family’s love was not defined by sexual orientation. This is what his dad, Randy Heggart, had to say to other parents:<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t about you,\u201d Randy says to the camera. \u201cThis is about your child. They haven\u2019t changed; it\u2019s your perception of them. If you loved your child before you found out they were gay, that shouldn\u2019t change \u2026 If you think you\u2019re having a hard time, imagine how they felt.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n