NHL Oilers Captain Andrew Ference To March In Edmonton’s Pride Parade

For Oilers captain Andrew Ference, marching in the 34th annual Edmonton Pride Parade in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community is “kind of a no-brainer.”
 
No-brainer or not, Ference is the first member of the Oilers to participate in the Edmonton Pride Parade, and almost certainly the first pro athlete from any sport to take part in the local event, said Kris Wells, director of programs and services for the University of Alberta Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services.

In an era that has seen the first openly gay player — Michael Sam — selected in the NFL draft, and Jason Collins become the first openly gay active player in the NBA, Edmonton’s professional franchises have not been at the front edge of this particular diversity curve, which makes Ference’s decision to march the more significant locally.(keep reading)