Joe.My.God. LGBT News
From the Charlotte Observer:
When hockey players bring a tear to someone’s eye, it’s usually after breaking their nose. But there’s apparently a mushy side to these guys that the world has overlooked. Just a week after the Carolina Panthers released a sweet-hearted Christmas video, the Charlotte Checkers have produced one of their own that is both sentimental and poignant in trying to bring together a community at odds with itself in recent months.
Called “One of Us,” the 5-minute film revolves around a guy (actor Thomas Torrey) who loses everything because he refuses to take off a polar bear suit. “Nobody wants to be the black sheep, in this case, white bear,” says his boss, just before firing the guy.
“In a polarizing time, our film wanted to convey the idea of unity,” said Eric Bridenstine, vice president of marketing and creative services for the Checkers. Checkers officials say the theme of inclusion was motivated in part by the turmoil Charlotte faced this year on several fronts. The team didn’t cite specifics, but that turmoil included several nights of violent protests in uptown, and the financial fallout from North Carolina’s controversial House Bill 2.