Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) will honour Toronto Maple Leafs president and general manager Brian Burke for his work in helping open minds to LGBTQ lifestyles in the sporting world.
The organization will hold a cocktail reception at the Ed Mirvish Theatre downtown on Monday, Jan. 16 with an array of special guests including Burke himself and Hockey Night in Canada's Ron MacLean.The event will serve as a fundraiser for PFLAG, which encourages families and friends of people in the queer community to show their support.Irene Miller, president of Toronto PFLAG (www.torontopflag.org), said the event would highlight the advocacy work done by Burke, who spoke out in support of his late son, Brendan, who was gay.For a high-profile personality in the sports world to display such a queer-positive attitude has helped further discussion and stop intolerance toward the LGBTQ community in a realm that has traditionally been slow to accept alternative lifestyles."(Burke) speaks both as a parent and as someone who is a sportsman," she said. "There's a huge door to be opened - the sports world - to us and to a lot of male and female youth out there who are struggling."Miller pointed out the sports world in general has been slow to embrace the LGBTQ community, as evidenced by the fact that there have been very few high-profile athletes who have outed themselves."There are very few role models in the sports world," she said. "It's not easy to come out."Burke has been one of a very few in the sports world to speak out passionately in favour of equal treatment for the LGBTQ community and to decry bullying.The gala event will also include a guest appearance by Michael Burgess, live performances by harpist Lori Gemmell and the cast of My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding and a videotaped message by CBC star Rick Mercer."It's going to be a very upbeat and fun night with mingle time for the guests, live entertainment and a few raffle prizes inside," Miller said. "But the focus of the night is really coming together as a community and celebrating one of our own."As the mother of an openly gay son, Miller knows many of the concerns and challenges people - particularly young people - face when deciding to come out of the closet. Her own son came out in his last year of high school, which led her to join PFLAG."(Her son) is an actor and the best role he ever played was between the ages of seven and 17, when he played the role of a straight kid and a happy child," she said. "It took courage to come out. No one is ever guaranteed and sure when they tell (family) they're lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender that even the most loving family will accept them."Funds raised through the gala event will go toward supporting Toronto PFLAG programs, which include telephone advice and regular support meetings, which are held at 7:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month, at 200 Wolverleigh Blvd., in the city's east end. Toronto PFLAG programs are all run entirely by volunteers.The cocktail reception honouring Brian Burke will take place at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria St., from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16. For tickets or information, visit www.torontopflag.org