Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyFebruary 6th, 2010
In November 2009, Brendan Burke came out to the world. He had come out to his famous hockey coach father Brian Burke two years earlier.
Burke’s story was happy in that it revealed that a sport as drenched in testosterone as hockey could accept Brandon with a shrug. His father, his coach, an his team were all supportive and even when reporters went searching for a story they could not find anyone in hockey willing to be disrespectful to him.
On Friday, Brendan Burke was in a fatal accident. While driving on a treacherous snowy road in Michigan Indiana, his vehicle slid sideways into the path of a truck and he and his passenger were both killed.
But Brandon Burke will be remembered for being brave. And for helping to illustrate to the next generation of hockey kids that homophobia need not be part of the sports world and helping to dispell the stereotype that gay men cannot be physically tough competitors.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and teammates at this time of their grief.
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Burr
February 6th, 2010
At least his dad got to love who he really was and Brandon got to experience that..
(BTW the accident was in Indiana)
Rossi
February 6th, 2010
And his name is spelled Brendan.
Regardless, a tragic tragic story that is incredibly sad. He had a lot of promise.
Stefano A
February 6th, 2010
I’d like to also offer my condolence in addition to the Burke family to the family of 18-year-old Mark Reedy, the passenger killed.
It’s too bad that I’ve not found any other information about Reedy. That is, if he was a friend of Brendan’s or a boyfriend, or if he was also a hockey player at Miami U (Ohio).
Jen
February 7th, 2010
It is always a tragedy when a young person with such promise is killed in an accident. Thankfully he lived his life on his own terms even if it wasn’t for very long. We could all learn something from Brendan.
Clay
February 7th, 2010
Please spell “condolences” correctly too. Silly errors like that detract from the story.
Gerald
February 7th, 2010
Though his life was cut tragically short, Brendan was finally living it on his own terms, respected by his family and his team mates for what and who he really was, not for what the homophobic stereotypes said he should be. His family and his team mates will miss him acutely, but all of us in the gay community are made poorer by his untimely passing. Rest in peace, Brendan.
Aaron
February 7th, 2010
He will be remembered.
Swampfox
February 8th, 2010
Too young.
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