Uptown Sports Says They Aren't Bigots Despite Tweeting Out Opposition To Gay Marriage

Sean Avery

When New York Rangers forward Sean Avery agreed to make a video statement in favor of New York marriage equality the last people in the world we expected to stand against him was Uptown Sports a Canadian hockey management agency.

In a tweet against Avery's statement, Uptown Sports vice president Todd Reynolds said, "Very sad to read Sean Avery's misguided support of same-gender 'marriage.' Legal or not, it will always be wrong. To clarify. This is not hatred or bigotry towards gays. It is not intolerance in any way shape or form. I believe we are all equal... But I believe in the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman. This is my personal viewpoint. I Do not hate anyone."

Reynolds later went on Cybulski & Company on TSN Radio 105 to stand behind his statements:

"There's certainly a voice for the other side on this particular issue. I was merely responding to be the other voice. I believe in standing up for what you believe in. I'm passionate about what I believe in. And I believe in morality and I believe in right and wrong. I know many people with different view points for what is right and wrong.

"But I'm a little disappointed in some of the response. If you oppose a viewpoint, you're immediately targeted by some people as a hater, a bigot, intolerant, homophobic and many other terms. That's obviously not the case for people who know me. … I don't hate anyone. And I'm certainly not a bigot. But I believe in marriage between one man and one woman. It's a social debate that's raged on for quite some time. In Canada and the U.S. it's a hot-button topic right now. I guess maybe it was how I was raised. I believe in voicing your opinion and not being part of the silent majority."

A quick lesson for Todd, if you put "marriage" in scare quotes when describing the legal, state-sanctioned union between two people of the same sex, then you are a bigot.

When you deny committed gay and lesbian couples the 1,138 federal benefits that come along with legally-recognized marriage, then you are in fact a bigot.

When you defend such exclusion by hiding behind your faith while you continue to indulge in "other abominations" unto the Lord like ingesting shrimp and wearing clothes made of two fabrics, you are in fact a bigot and what's worse, a hypocrite.

Then Todd's father and company president Don Reynolds stepped in to add gasoline to the flames with the ole canard that same-sex marriage equals bestiality. “It’s sad. I mean, my personal position is that I do not support gay marriage, and I think it’s wrong, as well. It’s not politically correct to, I guess, give your opinion about a thing like that. It’s politically correct on the other side, for people to say, ‘sure, I support gay marriage.’ But the majority, I think, of Canadians would say that they don’t agree with gay marriage – that man and woman were created to be married, not man and man or man and horse, you know?”

Retired NBA player John Amaechi had a very pointed response to the tweets from Uptown Sports. Contacted by AfterElton.com, Amaechi said:

"This is absurd.  The idea that an agent believes himself to be an arbiter of morality on the issue of marriage equality (or anything else) should make people weep for our future.  It is not surprising that Uptown sports' (@UptownHockey) concept of empathy and fairness should be so warped; when you are used to making your living as the human equivalent of a remora your world view is bound to be distorted.

As with so many who protest too much, I will now wait with bated-breath for him to be caught with an extra-wide stance at his local airport bathroom.”

Although Change.org is now petitioning to get Uptown Sports to apologize, they shouldn't bother. Let their views be known and let the new hockey talent decide if they want to join an agency that stands against gay fans and players. If the pressure comes from anyone, it'd be best to come from the players they represent, the ones out on the ice busting their butts for their fans and teammates, regardless of sexual orientation.

Mike Fisher, Andrew Brunette, Dustin Jeffrey

There's no reasons these athletes should remain silent and presumably let their agents speak for them. While a single player speaking against Uptown Sports could result in said player being dropped from the agency, if several key players banded together to make a joint statement, Uptown would either have to face fan ire and potential lawsuits by dismissing them all or face the fact that such bigotry under the guise of religion has no place on the ice or the modern day sports arena.