Ethan Reese
The National Hockey League is just the latest American corporation called to heel by popular Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
Videos by Rare
When the hockey league announced a diversity job fair that was only open to certain kinds of people, DeSantis called it out exactly for what it was: discriminatory.
The league’s event for job seekers was called “Pathways to the NHL”, and according to a description of the event on Linkedin that has since been deleted, was only going to be available to participants who were:
“18 years of age or older, based in the U.S., and identify as female, Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, and/or a person with a disability. Veterans are also welcome and encouraged to attend”.
DeSantis Makes Headlines
Able-bodied straight white men need not apply, apparently. This opportunity for employment with the NHL is open to everyone but them. Yup, that is the way things get done now, because equality.
But DeSantis, who is the odds-on favorite to win the Presidency in 2024 over Donald Trump and Joe Biden both, would have none of it. He called it what it was and confirmed that discrimination of any kind is unwelcome in Florida, then he told the NHL to open the event to everyone, to make everyone welcome, he told them to:
“immediately remove and denounce the discriminatory prohibitions it has imposed on attendance to the 2023 ‘Pathway to Hockey’ summit.”
And that is exactly what the NHL did. They deleted the event on Linkedin and issued a statement, saying that, oops, the job fair actually is really open to everyone, everyone over the age 18. No other criteria needed.
Sure…
The NHL probably has 100 or more employees working in human resources and diversity, and every single one of them probably thinks this is acceptable behavior, they think they are furthering a good cause.
But they are not. They are discriminating, by the letter of the law. And DeSantis was there to let them know it.
