I'm a gay screen writer and my current project is a coming out story about a gay hockey player, his dream to win the Stanley Cup, and the challenges and set backs he faces as a gay youth, Junior A player and NHL pro. I want to present an accurate picture of pro and junior hockey, and the trials a gay athlete has in that environment. To that end, I'm looking for gay hockey players that can relate some experiences to me. Also, I want to hear a range of coming out stories from gay hockey players.

I grew up around hockey as a spectator, but I don't have any first-hand knowledge of the game as a player. It's really important to me that I write authentic gay characters for this screenplay...I'm tired of seeing the same stereotypes up on screen. This forum offers my best hope of reaching some players with real-life experiences. I'd be willing to talk to any player (college, pro, or amateur) that's willing to talk to me.

I live in the Detroit area and I'm planning research trips to Alberta and Ontario in June. I'm also available to speak with players over the phone or via e-mail.

Thanks, in advance, for your help and your trust.

Good luck with that project. Should be a lot out there, in the way of gay folks in the game of hockey, but finding it may be difficult.

You've probably already looked into this angle but I just started reading Eric Anderson's dense work on gay men in sports titled In The Game: Gay Athletes and the Cult of Masculinity and am blown away by the hockey player's story.

Though I've never played organized sport above the high school level, so much of what he says really rang bells, both negative and positive.

Just needed to mention that.

BTW, even though I linked the online version, I highly recommend buying the hardcopy, still in stores. There's nothing like actually having a book lying around that you've paid money for to encourage you to plow through the academic stuff to get to the pearls of wisdom. I know if I "had" to read the book online as an assignment I'd be distracted by all the other things I could be doing online. Young folks today maybe not.

I may be able to provide a little helpful input. Though in full disclosure, I'm bi (if that makes any difference, and I'm okay with it if it does), I stopped playing a decade ago, and the culture of the sport has changed a fair amount since then. I never even came within a light year of playing in the NHL, except in my fantasies . I played in the MN high shcool system, then D1 in college, and tried my hand DEEP in the minors (and it didn't work out all that well for me).

I'll send you a PM.

Funny you should mention that book . . . just ordered it and should have it today! I found an online copy of the story you referred to (the hockey player) and I can't get his situation out of my head. I feel so fortunate to be able to have dinner and a movie and, well, and a life with my partner. I think this is a story that needs to be told and, even though the one I'm writing is fiction, it should resound with a lot of people.

Thanks for the input!

Writing this screenplay has been a fascinating adventure. I've spoken to a number of hockey players—gay, straight and in between—of various ages and the stories have been mind-expanding to say the least. There is an over-arching theme to all of them: the question of manliness and when being gay begins to encroach on one's masculinity. Does it? It's a good question.

Any thoughts?