The Toronto gay newspaper Xtra reports that Toronto Maple Leaf general manager Brian Burke has pledged to march in the Toronto Pride Parade in honor of his gay son Brendan, who died Feb 5.
From Sports Illustrated:
“After Brendan publicly revealed his sexual preference, Brian was flooded with requests to do advocacy work on behalf of gays. He told the groups that while he supported his son, he had other causes: land conservation, blood donation and children’s literacy. He didn’t want to dilute that work. This, too, changed on that Friday in February. Brendan’s causes are Brian’s now. He will do a public-service announcement aimed at eliminating the bullying of gay children. And he plans to march in the Toronto Pride Parade. ‘I’d promised him I would march with him,’ says Burke, who briefly left the Olympics last Friday to attend a memorial service for Brendan at Miami of Ohio. ‘He won’t be there, but I will.’” (via Queerty)
Brendan received international media attention in 2009 after ESPN wrote about his coming out story.
