The PWHL is a gift for queer hockey fans like me

This First Person column is the experience of Mel Brown, who lives in Montreal. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ .

I'm a huge hockey fan. I grew up on it. My family sat down in front of the TV together every Saturday night to have dinner, cheer for our teams (Go Habs!) and make fun of the ads.

It's an experience shared by many Canadians. Yet, when people first find this out about me, they're almost always surprised.

As a queer, non-binary person, the hockey community has not always felt welcoming, despite the sport continuing to be a big part of my adult life. It's rare to see someone who looks queer like me in the crowd or an NHL ad or kiss cam that doesn't highlight straight couples.

And hockey culture has been in a seemingly never-ending cycle of Pride Night cancellations, rainbow tape bans and scandals steeped in toxic masculinity.

Living in a country full of hockey fans, I felt isolated and morally compromised whenever I'd watch my favourite sport.

So when I tuned in to the Stanley Cup Final in June, joining fans across the country who were rooting for Edmonton to make a historic comeback, I was thrilled when, early in the match, they flashed an NHL Pride QR code across the bottom of the screen.

Meet the DJ spinning up a storm at Montreal PWHL games

Finally, some positivity! But it was on the screen so briefly that even with my phone on the table beside me, I didn't have time to grab it and scan the code before it was gone.

All the frustration I've felt with the league came rushing back — even so small a gesture as a QR code could've been meaningful, if it had been given sufficient airtime. Instead, it felt inauthentic and inadequate, an attempt to pacify 2SLGBTQ+