When I started to put this website together in my tiny little mind, I promised myself a couple of things:
- I was going to be true to who I am, a weird, queer, transgender, sports loving girl.
- I’m going to piss people off for being me and not always falling in line with what everyone else thinks. Deal with it.
- I am going to grow as a person through the site.
Every day, on at least one of my socials, I post the following:
“Please remember to be kind to everyone and everything you meet today, especially yourself. Fight for those without your privilege, be safe, and have an amazing day.”
I don’t post this for others, so much as I post it as a reminder for myself. I am not a perfect person by far and this little mantra helps me remember that no one is.
Wednesday, I sat in on the PWHL Detroit press conference today with two questions in regards to Britta Curl-Salemme. Both questions were asked although they were asked before the moderator got around to the rookie.
In the end, I am glad that someone else asked them because it gave me a chance to listen and think about my daily mantra.
Wow, talk about burying your lede but here goes.
Britta Curl-Salemme has made some very hurtful and harmful comments in the past about the LGBTQ+ community and is a part of some organizations that I do not agree with and that might actively be out to take away my rights.
By right, that should make me her mortal (or perhaps immortal, the jury is still out) enemy.
Manon Rhéaume talked about doing her due diligence when deciding to take Curl-Salemme. She talked about having discussions with coaches, players, and those who interacted with Curl-Salemme and in the end, felt confident in her decision.
Minnesota had two LGBTQ+ players on the roster with Curl-Salemme while the 2026 Team USA squad had three TWO of which are with PWHL Detroit. If you believe that Hilary Knight was always destined for Detroit and realize that Kayla Barnes signed with Detroit prior to Curl-Salemme, then they both had no issue playing with her. I think that says a something.
Curl-Salemme’s statement was typical of what you expect but boiling it down I found this small phrase, “(I) got to meet fans and just see people eye to eye.”
Now we come to the part where I piss people off. I do not hold with a single one of Curl-Salemme’s homophobic, transphobic, anti-abortion or liking of hate filled tweets.
No, I will never be a member of nor the president of the Britta Curl-Salemme fan club, but I do hope I get a few chances to meet her. Not to yell and scream at her but to have honest to goddess conversations. I’m not going to hate for the pure purpose of hating, that just isn’t me.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I am a geek. Pulling from Doctor Who, “hate is always foolish . . . and love, is always wise.” That is a pinned tweet of mine elsewhere. Another thing I truly believe in.
I have privilege and my thought is that I will use my privilege to try and show people that hold beliefs like hers, that they are wrong. If I didn’t, I would be a hypocrite and to me, that is perhaps one of the worst insults anyone can ever use against me.
One last thing, since I first discovered PWHL hockey, I have wanted a team in Detroit that I can photograph and cover. I literally LOSE money when I cover games because I want to get the word out and show the pure joy of women’s hockey. I will be damned if I allow one person to rob me of that joy and love of the game. If I did that, “they” would win and I am, if nothing else, a VERY bad loser.
I’m not going to let her fundamental misunderstanding of the LGBTQ+ community and in particular my transgender community impact my joy. I will push and advocate, in a positive manner for LGBTQ+ rights but I will not hate.
“Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.