Sean Avery, Advocate for Gay Athletes
Former NY Rangers agitator Sean Avery the unlikely leader in the fight for gay rights in sports
Avery has been an unexpected advocate for gay rights in recent years, a board member of Athlete Ally, a group of straight athletes devoted to eradicating homophobia in sports. While the former Ranger player was once suspended himself for using derogatory language toward a woman, nobody can now question his dedication to this issue. Avery has lent his backing to the musical, “Bare,” playing at New World Stages, which features the story of a gay jock in a bullying society. Avery even traveled to Albany to lobby Republican state officials on gay marriage rights.
“Maybe it’s because when I was such a bully when I had my uniform on, that when I took it off I felt the need to stand up against the bully,” Avery said.