Brian Burke On Son Brendan: “I Want To Continue The Things He Would Have Done If He Were Still Around”

July 4th, in Toronto, Brian Burke will be among the parents marching under the PFLAG banner at Pride Toronto’s Parade, Burke’s poignant participation underlining what has been a painful, but ultimately powerful journey for the General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. In November, 2009, his son Brendan came out publically, conveying plans to promote with hockey a program to combat homophobia, Brian supportive as both a proud parent and an influential member of the National Hockey League. Then on February 5th, Brendan, 21 years old, was killed in a car crash driving during a snow storm. Through his father though, Brendan, and his work, proceeds. “I’m not looking for anything out of this except to continue Brendan’s work,” says Brian. “I don’t want any profile. I’m a parent.” Brian says that despite his modesty, people solicit advice. “Parents say ‘How do I know if my kid is going to be gay?’ You don’t. Statistically, if you have ten kids, you’re going to have one gay one. The odds are, you’re going to know someone who’s gay.” And he offers the following: “You don’t know if your kids are going to be gay or not. Nor should you care. What you want is happy, healthy kids. Brendan was happy and healthy. But the thing that’s hard to do is if you take a hard position on these things, and then your son or daughter comes to you and says they’re gay. Those are hard things to take back. Hard things to un-say.” Brian is also partnered with Egale Canada, the advocacy organization that fights for equality and justice for the LGBT community in the country, as well as their families, and is instrumental in working towards the creation of inclusive, safe schools for LGBT youth, paramount at a period when statistics show anti-gay bullying is increasing. “It’s a real problem in our schools,” says Brian. It’s a problem for gay kids, for small kids, anyone different. I hate bullies ... I didn’t realize the magnitude of the problem. What Brendan would have wanted was for me to continue some of these things. What he did was very brave, coming out and working in hockey. I want to continue the things he would have done if he were still around.”