Another local professional athlete is coming under fire for his purported use of a homophobic slur.
Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds is accused of calling New York Ranger Sean Avery a “fucking faggot” during Monday night’s game.
The two got into a physical scuffle in the first period of the preseason matchup and continued to spar throughout the game.
Game video, which did not have audio, captured Simmonds yelling what appears to be the slur at Avery from the bench as Flyer Claude Giroux attempted to restrain Simmonds by his jersey.
When questioned by reporters after the game, Avery said he did hear Simmonds direct a homophobic slur at him.
Simmonds told media following the incident that he and Avery were “going back and forth” during the exchange and that he didn’t recall all that he said.
The player met with National Hockey League officials Tuesday, who decided not to take any action against Simmonds, including fines or other penalties.
Colin Campbell, NHL senior executive vice president of hockey operations, said Simmonds “expressly denied” using the slur and the league could not substantiate Avery’s assertion.
The Flyers have not released an official statement on the incident, and a call to the team was not returned by presstime.
Mike Thompson, acting president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said his agency has been in contact with the Flyers and NHL regarding the comments.
“The word that Simmonds used is the same word that is hurled at LGBT youth on the playground and in our schools, creating a climate of intolerance and hostility,” Thompson said. “He should not only apologize for this antigay outburst, but the Philadelphia Flyers and the NHL have a responsibility to take action and educate their fans about why this word is unacceptable.”
After the game, Avery called the comments “disappointing.”
Avery garnered praise from the LGBT community earlier this year after appearing in a video to promote marriage equality in New York.
Simmonds’ alleged comments come after Eagles player DeSean Jackson used the same slur on a radio show this past summer.
Simmonds himself was the target of an apparent act of racism this month when a spectator threw a banana at him during a game. That perpetrator was arrested Tuesday in Canada, where the incident took place.
In May, a petition was started on Change.org to encourage the Flyers to make an “It Gets Better” video, which has garnered some 130 signatures.
— Jen Colletta
