Gay Rights Battle Moving To Sports? Anchor Fired Over Anti-Gay Tweet

Damian Goddard, a Canadian sports anchor, was fired Wednesday, reportedly over a tweet he sent in support of Uptown Sports’ denunciation of Sean Avery’s support of same-sex marriage. “I completely and whole-heartedly support Todd Reynolds and his support for the traditional and TRUE meaning of marriage,” Goddard tweeted Tuesday. He then re-tweeted Uptown Sports’ tweet that had set off the firestorm.

On Saturday, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT rights organization, released a video made by Rangers’ hockey pro Sean Avery, in which Avery says, “Committed couples should be able to marry the person they love. Join me in supporting marriage equality.”

“I’m Sean Avery, and I’m a New Yorker for marriage equality,” says the Canadian born hockey star. “I treat everyone the way I expect to be treated, and that applies to marriage.”

On Monday, Uptown Sports, a Canadian sports management agent to NHL and professional hockey players denounced Rangers’ Sean Avery’s support of marriage equality. “Very sad to read Sean Avery’s misguided support of same-​gender “marriage”. Legal or not, it will always be wrong,” Uptown Sports wrote, via Twitter. Uptown Sports, according to their website and Twitter page, “represents Professional Hockey players such as Andrew Brunette, Cody McCormick, Chris Neil, Mike Fisher and Carlo Colaiacovo.”

Then, on Tuesday, Goddard added his own thoughts, via Twitter. After his initial tweet, then his re-tweet of the Uptwon Sports tweet, Goddard continued his anti-gay attack, and tweeted, “Reynolds… Peter Vidmar… coming under the attack of the so-called ‘tolerant liberal left’. http://tinyurl.com/3qrghmb.” The link leads to a story titled, “Peter Vidmar steps down as chief of mission for 2012 U.S. Olympic Team.” Vidmar made made anti-gay statement earlier.

Goddard then continued, tweeting, “…Trust me. What Todd said stands like the Rock of Gibraltar.”

His final tweet to date, still on Tuesday, was, “gonna spend some time with the wife now. to be clear, damian goddard’s tweets reflect the views of damian goddard. peace, folks!”

“Damian Goddard is no longer with Rogers Sportsnet. Mr. Goddard was a freelance contractor and in recent weeks it had become clear that he is not the right fit for our organization,” a Sportsnet press release staes. “As this is a confidential personnel matter, we will not be commenting further except to say that views expressed by Mr. Goddard on Twitter are his own and do not reflect the views of Rogers or Rogers Sportsnet.”