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The NHL is taking a stand against anti-trans bigots and fans are here for it

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The National Hockey League recently clapped back at a fan regarding their response to a tweet about an inclusive hockey tournament comprised entirely of transgender and non-binary players.

On Nov. 22, the NHL posted a tweet in support of the Team Trans Draft Tournament in Middleton, Wisconsin that occurred this past weekend.

The League went on to explain that this was the first tournament made up entirely of transgender and non-binary players, with about 80 people participating. The NHL also included the hashtags #HockeyIsForEveryone and #NHLPride.

The tweet was met with both positive and negative responses, with one user receiving a direct response from the NHL itself.

Twitter user @BlueMountian12 responded to the NHL’s tweet, “So, men playing on women’s team?” and garnered over 19,000 likes at the time of writing.

The NHL clapped back and responded, stating that “Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Nonbinary identity is real.”

Although there was no shortage of negative responses to the NHL’s tweet, many fans came to the League’s defense, and commended them for their inclusive stance.

One person claimed they had to double check if the tweet was real, but was happy to see the NHL defend this cause.

Another person clapped back at all the transphobic people in the Twitter thread.

One person stated that tweets similar to the NHL’s save lives, and encouraged other trans and non-binary folks to ignore the hateful comments.

Others thanked the NHL for their inclusion of trans and non-binary people in the sport, claiming that the tweet meant a lot to them personally.

Another person thanked the NHL for increasing inclusivity in the game.

The NHL’s tweets in support of greater inclusivity in hockey mirrors its Hockey is for Everyone initiative, which uses the League’s global influence to foster greater inclusion in the game.

The NHL states on its website that “we support any teammate, coach or fan who brings heart, energy and passion to the rink. We believe all hockey programs – from professionals to youth organizations – should provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for players and families regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, disability, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.”

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