Being A Homophobe Is Not "Religious Freedom"

Believing it is shows just how little you understand your religion

One of my biggest pet peeves is people who attribute their hatred and bigotry to “religious freedom.” The idea that treating a segment of humanity- in this case, the LGBTQ community- as “less than” is a bridge too far. “It goes against my religion” insults those who follow that religion and those being disrespected.

Ivan Provorov of the National Hockey League’s Philadelphia Flyers is the latest example of this camouflaging of bigotry. Provorov refused to participate in the Flyers’ Pride Night, citing his “religious beliefs.”

PHILADELPHIA — Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov cited his Russian Orthodox religion as the reason he did not participate in pregame warmups when the team wore Pride-themed jerseys and used sticks wrapped in rainbow Pride tape.

The 26-year-old Provorov boycotted the pregame skate with his teammates before Tuesday night’s game against Anaheim as the Flyers celebrated their annual Pride night in celebration and support of the LGBTQ+ community. He played nearly 23 minutes in Philadelphia’s 5-2 victory.

“I respect everybody’s choices,” Provorov said after the game. “My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion. That’s all I’m going to say.”

While Provorov may wish to “stay true” to himself and his religion, his reasoning is, to put it bluntly, bullshit. While there’s a significant cultural bias within Russian society and the Russian Orthodox Church against homosexuality, Jesus never preached against it. To claim otherwise is to pervert the teachings the Russian Orthodox Church is based upon.

Russian society and the Russian Orthodox Church may be biased against the LGBTQ community, but that’s NOT something Jesus taught or believed. To believe otherwise is to bastardize Christianity to fit your prejudice and bigotry.

I’d respect Provorov more if he were honest enough to admit to being a homophobe. That he’s hiding behind his religion is the last refuge of a coward.

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, leader of Russia’s dominant religious group, sent a strong signal last March justifying his country’s invasion of Ukraine — describing the conflict as part of a struggle against sin and pressure from liberal foreigners to hold “gay parades” as the price of admission to their ranks.

There’s no doubt that the Russian Orthodox Church is very Conservative and has close ties to Vladimir Putin’s government. Perhaps that’s what has corrupted it to the degree that it can condemn something that the Christ it claims to revere never preached against. The Church’s condemnation of homosexuality is a matter of political and cultural convenience, but it’s not a matter of religious doctrine.

Provorov can undoubtedly claim to be true to himself, but what he’s being true to is his homophobia. And he’s certainly free to that belief. Unlike his homeland, this is a free country, and he has the right to believe as he chooses. While his homophobia is certainly not a popular belief, he has the 1st Amendment right to believe as he sees fit. I only wish he had the honesty not to hide behind his religion, which is a farcical defense.

The jerseys and sticks were set to be auctioned off by the Flyers following the game, with proceeds going to the team’s charity and its efforts to grow the game of hockey in diverse communities.

The Flyers also hosted a pregame skate for local LGBTQ+ youth. Flyers players James van Riemsdyk and Scott Laughton have been staunch supporters of the community and launched a program in support of local LGBTQ+ youth in the greater Philadelphia area.

Laughton and van Riemsdyk met after the game with about 50 people in the LGBTQ+ community. Laughton said overall the Flyers had a “great, great night that brings a lot of awareness.”

Laughton said there would be more conversations ahead with Provorov, who moved from Russia to the United States as a teenager. He signed a six-year, $40.5 million contract before the 2019 season and won the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the Flyers’ outstanding defenseman in his rookie season, the youngest Philadelphia player to receive the honor.

“I don’t hold anything against anyone,” Laughton said. “It’s nothing like that. It was an awesome night and I’m very happy we got a win on a night like this.”

It may be that Provorov has never allowed himself to be around people who happen to identify as LGBTQ. He might be surprised to learn they’re just like him, except for their sexual preference and/or gender identity. That doesn’t make them better or worse than him, just different. And different doesn’t have to be wrong.

It’s hatred, bigotry, and prejudice that make them wrong.

Sometimes curing fear and ignorance is just a matter of educating a person and helping them to understand that people are people and love is love. We don’t have to necessarily like, condone, or approve of how another person lives or loves, but it’s their right to live in whatever way allows them to be their authentic self. No one has the right to deny them that- not Ivan Provorov, the Russian Orthodox Church, or anyone else.

The most disappointing thing was that Provorov refused to participate in a charity fundraiser, something the Flyers organization has historically been very supportive of.

Provorov’s refusal, according to You Can Play COO Kurt Weaver, did negatively impact the Flyer’s Pride Night.

"Players who do this sort of thing have a very short perspective on what it means. For me, religion is about charity and inclusion," Weaver said. "This wasn't just about a player and a jersey on a patch of ice. What else was affected by this? Visibility and proximity is what breeds understanding and inclusion, and those things were negatively impacted by this. It's disappointing to see that's the outcome from this."

Provorov makes a boatload of money to play a kid’s game. One of the things he agreed to when he signed a contract with the Flyers was to represent the team to the best of his abilities. He shouldn’t be able to opt out of Pride night because it’s “against his religion.” That argument should be a non-starter from the very beginning.

If he feels so strongly about not participating in the team’s Pride Night, he should at least be honest enough to admit to being a homophobe. And the Flyers should’ve fined him and required that he sit out the game.

Ivan Provorov might be a helluva hockey player, but as a human being, he leaves something to be desired.