LGBTQ+ charities slam Fife Flyers after club ditches Pride Night jerseys to 'respect diversity of players beliefs'

One player, former NHLer David Booth, did not participate in the warm-up at all, and left the game injured within a matter of minutes.

The annual Elite League wide initiative sees all teams specially designed Pride jerseys which are key to the message that hockey is for everyone.

Flyers have worn the tops without any issue across the seasons, and had promoted their Pride game against Guildford Flames tonight (Saturday) and its associated merchandising across its social media platforms.

The Pride jerseys are due to be auctioned off after the game with proceeds going to The Hive, Kirkcaldy’s LGBTQ+ base, but that has been thrown into confusion after the charity said it will refuse any donation. It also said it was not advised of the decision taken by the club before arriving at the rink – and left immediately.

In a strong statement issued tonight, the organisation said: The Hive Kirkcaldy are extremely disappointed in the decision made by Fife Flyers not to wear the Pride Jerseys throughout this evening’s match.

“We turned up at the Ice arena tonight with NO knowledge of this and I can confirm that I was advised it was a last minute decision by the club. In light of this The Hive have refused to accept any money, strip or donations from the club and left the match immediately. We will be writing to them regarding this. The Hive will always standup for LGBTQIA+ rights and we will not be silenced.”

There was further condemnation from Fife Pride which said it was “angry and deeply disappointed” at Flyers’ stance.

Its statement said: “This decision was made at the last minute and without prior notice to community partners, placing The Hive Kirkcaldy in an unacceptable position. We fully support their decision to refuse donations and leave the match immediately.

“Let us be clear: Pride is not a warm-up. Pride is not optional. And Pride is not something that should be compromised to accommodate ‘personal beliefs.’

“When an organisation chooses to scale back visible LGBTQIA+ inclusion, that is a choice, and it has consequences. Decisions like this undermine trust, damage relationships with the community, and send a harmful message about whose identities are considered negotiable.

Fife Pride will always stand up for LGBTQIA+ visibility, dignity, and rights. We will not stay silent when those values are sidelined.”

Flyers’ decision sparked a huge debate on social media with many fans across he league deeply critical of the club’s actions.

In a statement, which was not attributed to any named member of the management team, the club said: “Pride Night is an important opportunity for our organisation to celebrate diversity and reaffirm our commitment to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone in our community.

“Following internal discussion, we want to clarify how tonight’s Pride Night will now be reflected on the ice. The team will wear Pride-themed jerseys during warm-ups and will compete in standard Fife Flyers home jerseys for the game itself.”

The club defended the decision and said the approach “allows us to support Pride Night while also respecting the diversity of backgrounds and personal beliefs within our playing group.”

It added: “Our commitment to inclusion and our support for the LGBTQ+ community remains unchanged. As part of that commitment, we will move forward with our post-game auction of the player-issued Pride jerseys, with proceeds from the auction being donated to support the work of The Hive.

“The Hive Kirkcaldy is a safe, welcoming community hub that supports the LGBTQ+ community through wellbeing services, peer groups, therapy, food support, and spaces to connect, learn, and belong. We are proud to support the important work they do within our local community. If you’d like to learn more about the work of The Hive, please visit https://www.thehivefife.org.uk/

We believe hockey is for everyone, and we remain dedicated to fostering a space where all fans, players, and staff feel respected, valued, and welcome.”

The club thanked fans “for your understanding and continued support” but the response online was fiercely critical on X, formerly Twitter, and more split on Flyers’ Facebook page where over 260 comments were posted.

Pride Night involves all ten teams across the EIHL and has been a key part of each campaign for a number of seasons.

The league has been contacted for comment.