(Photo Credits: Screengrab from Luke Prokop’s Official Instagram Account)
Canadian professional ice hockey player and Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop has come out as gay on Monday through an Instagram post. This makes Prokop, 19, the first active player under NHL contract to do so.
“While the past year and 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,” Prokop’s announcement reads. “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, but I could not be happier with my decision to come out. From a young age I have dreamed of being an NHL player, and I believe that living my authentic life will allow me to bring my whole self to the rink and improve my chances of fulfilling my dreams,” he continued.
Prokop credited his amazing family, friends, and agents who he said knew he was gay and “met him with love” and supported him every step of the way. Further, he said that in sharing who he is, he hopes he “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.”
Read his statement in full below:
Prokop said he decided to come out in April. He told ESPN in an interview, “I was lying in bed one night, had just deleted a dating app for the fourth or fifth time, and I was extremely frustrated because I couldn’t be my true authentic self.” He added, “In that moment I said, ‘Enough is enough. I’m accepting who I am. I want to live the way I want to, and I want to accept myself as a gay man.'”
Prokop’s announcement was met with a positive response by both his team and the league officials. His team said via Twitter:
The Nashville Predators organization is proud of Luke for the courage he is displaying in coming out today and we will support him unequivocally in the days, weeks, and years to come as he continues to develop as a prospect.
The Nashville Predators organization is proud of Luke for the courage he is displaying in coming out today and we will support him unequivocally in the days, weeks, and years to come as he continues to develop as a prospect. #HockeyIsForEveryone https://t.co/43grM47dJO
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) July 19, 2021
Meanwhile, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman thanked Prokop for coming out, for “sharing his truth and for being so brave.”
Statement from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Luke Prokop’s (@lukeprokop_6) decision to publicly come out as gay: pic.twitter.com/4S7rWI872W
— NHL (@NHL) July 19, 2021
Luke Prokop originally hailed from Edmonton, Canada. These past four seasons, he played for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League. Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL) selected him in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
His teammates don’t care one way or another; normalizing realities that exists, yeah, right-on!
Diana Ross already sang it!
“I’m Coming Out.” “I Want The World To Know.” “Gotta Let It Show”!
That was in 1980; today, it is 2021! Do such revelations have any impact? Do such revelations contribute any societal benefits?
Does anyone care; does anyone even take note? Coming Out, today, is not revelatory; It is perfunctory!
We all come out…between our Mother’s Legs!
Let’s put it this way, this way, one day it won’t be news, like when women began participating in sports, military, politics, etc. Blacks began participating in the “whites only” arenas of life period; which by the way we’ve often “raised the bar,” aight (that means ok) lmao?!!! That is to say, one day we can trivialize these things, but that time has not yet arrived, we’re gettin’ there though. Like in the military; ‘people’ don’t have to lie about their sexual orientation, it’s not news anymore, see what I’m sayin’?
it only seems newsworthy when some sort of
celebrity” come out as (insert asinine made up word here).
We all already know what you are saying. We’ve already heard it many, many, many times before.
Repetitiveness becomes redundancy and thus loses it potentiality. That is what I expressed when I added my commentary.
It isn’t revelatory anymore because it is so utterly predictable. Hence, it does no common good.
You, are the one trivializing these things, not the rest of the world; as it ‘still’ is news, apparently.
I find it encouraging, which I believe is the very reason it’s mentioned rather positively. I wish ‘we’ could say the same for your comments regarding such.
We’ve already heard your negative feelings about such happenings . . . this, about you is what’s not revelatory . . . dear, lol!
Good luck Luke,
I salute you brother and your courage is to be admired. I wish you continued success and a long career in a sport that I’m sure you love. Kudos!!!!!
Clearly, the trolls just never give-up and neither will I, but they like to suck dick/get fucked btm or top, ’cause they’re on a gay dating/sex-site go figure!
“I’m accepting who I am. I want to live the way I want to, and I want to accept myself as a gay man.’” As he should in his own way. As any gay guy should be able to do whether that means being public or private about his sexuality.
[…] forward to July 2021, Canadian professional ice hockey player and Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop came out as gay through an Instagram post. Jablonski sought the advice of Prokop which led to his […]
So Brave, I commend you on coming out. It should not matter in this day and age, but sometimes it still does, but congratulations.