Leafs' Rielly, Dubas reportedly marching in Toronto Pride Parade

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas and defenceman Morgan Rielly are reportedly marching in Toronto’s Pride Parade this weekend, continuing their support of the LGBTQ community.

Both have been outspoken advocates and allies for the LGBTQ community, participating in previous Pride Parades and Toronto’s You Can Play Awareness Night back in February.

Back in March, the NHL investigated an incident in which Rielly was publicly accused of using a homophobic slur against a referee while on the ice. He was cleared of the accusations, and went on to hold a press conference to ensure his support and appreciation of the LGBTQ community was understood.

Dubas backed Rielly at the time and spoke highly of the blueliner’s character.

“It was surprising to me, to say the least. I’ve known Morgan now for five years and this is a cause that he’s supported socially throughout his time here,” Dubas said. “And a few weeks ago, independent of all of this, he had gone to our community department and asked to be formally involved in the Pride Parade in Toronto this upcoming June.”

Rielly continues to lead the way for professional athletes supporting the LGBTQ community, especially in a league that has seen multiple prior instances of poor character. The NHL is working towards promoting a league that is inclusive of all, partnering with You Can Play and Hockey Is For Everyone organizations to initiate an annual tradition of teams hosting ‘Pride Night’ games. A next step could be to have consistent organizational and player presence at all of the Pride Parades across NHL cities in the league.

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