"Diversity, equity and inclusion are core pillars of our organization and we are excited to host our first Pride Night with our fans in the LGBTQ+ community," said Coyotes President & CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez. "It is our responsibility to celebrate all members of our community, and this is an incredible opportunity to come together through the power of sports to support equality and inclusion."
In September, the Coyotes became the first NHL team to officially endorse ONE Community's UNITY Pledge, an oath signifying support of full inclusion and equality in employment, housing, and public accommodations for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) individuals and their allies. During Wednesday's game, the Coyotes will ask fans to join the club in signing the pledge at openaz.com. The Coyotes will promote inclusion by placing rainbow paw prints in front of the main entrance of Gila River Arena on April 21.
As part of Pride Night, all Coyotes players will use rainbow tape during pre-game warm-ups and a quartet from the Phoenix Gay Men's Chorus will sing the National Anthem prior to face-off. Additionally, there will be informative in-game content throughout the night and rainbow inclusion on the LED and video board. The club will also have special rainbow merchandise available for fans to purchase at The Den.
