Lord Stanley’s Cup has been a part of many victory celebrations over the years. For… Lord Stanley’s Cup has been a part of many victory celebrations over the years. For decades, it has served as the ultimate symbol of victory and is the focal point of parades where many hockey greats have held it overhead.

But last week, the cup took part in what was perhaps the most significant parade in the trophy’s history. It was marched down the streets of Chicago, the home of its newest owners. Only one Blackhawk player was in attendance, and he wasn’t even the one being celebrated.

While many in the crowd likely thought that Brent Sopel attended the Chicago Annual Pride Parade on behalf of the Chicago Blackhawks, this was hardly the case. Sopel was simply holding it because the true champion of the day was no longer around to do so.

In February, 21-year-old Brendan Burke’s car skidded out of control and collided with an oncoming truck, killing both him and a friend. Burke is the son of Brian Burke, the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Team USA.

Brendan Burke made headlines back in November when it was revealed to the Miami University (Ohio) men’s hockey team, for which he was a team manager, and to multiple news outlets that he was gay.

In the weeks after he came out, Burke and his family told the story of his journey, and he quickly became a trailblazer for gay athletes everywhere. Members of his family (whom he had come out to in 2007), the members of the hockey team and countless figures in hockey circles applauded Burke’s strength and courage.

The Stanley Cup’s appearance in Chicago’s pride parade was the result of a classy, honorable move by Sopel and the Blackhawks — one that speaks volumes to the impact that Brendan Burke had on both the world of hockey and the sports universe as a whole.

While those who knew Burke began to reconsider their stances on homosexuality within athletics, many in the sporting world have not. There have been a wide variety of reactions to cases of notable athletes coming out, both positive — as in Burke’s case — and negative.

Even in the most liberal places, homosexual stereotypes can make the life of a gay athlete remarkably stressful. Pitt fans might remember the late Ed Gallagher, a defensive tackle for Pitt’s football team in the late 1970s, who attempted suicide in 1985 because he was unable to reconcile his sexuality with his perception of what it meant to be an athlete.

While American society has become increasingly progressive in its perceptions of homosexuality, athletics have been slow to follow suit. The problem is that athletes are socialized to follow a model for success. For instance, little leaguers are taught to use a certain batting stance because it worked well for many players in the past. When it comes to sexuality, there aren’t many legendary athletes who were openly gay, which can make homosexuality especially difficult for athletes.

What Burke, his family and his teammates did was so groundbreaking, because they simply did not make a big deal out of Burke’s sexuality. They didn’t cast it in a negative light, and they didn’t celebrate it. They made clear that nothing had changed and that Burke was still the same person he always had been.

As they told their story to the world, they taught athletes and fans a valuable lesson: that sexual orientation has nothing to do with athletics.

The sporting world still has a long way to go before sexual orientation becomes as unimportant to sports as race is today. However, after the Stanley Cup’s landmark appearance at the Chicago Annual Pride Parade, the future looks bright.