Athlete Ally Responds to Flyer’s Ivan Provorov’s Pride Boycott
January 18, 2023 — Athlete Ally responded today to news that last night, National Hockey League Philadelphia Flyers player Ivan Provorov refused to wear his team’s Pride Night warmup jersey, citing his religious beliefs. Provorov told reporters that it was his choice “to stay true to myself and my religion,” which he identified as Russian Orthodox.
“We are incredibly disappointed to see an athlete with a powerful platform choosing to exclude the LGBTQI+ community, who absolutely deserve a place in hockey,” said Hudson Taylor, Founder and Executive Director of Athlete Ally. “As a person of faith, I see my religion as centering kindness and compassion for others, which strengthens my conviction as an ally to the LGBTQI+ community. Staying true to one’s faith does not mean sidelining anyone, or in any way implying that LGBTQI+ people shouldn’t be safe, welcome and included in sports.”