@bwil:

You Can Play has confirmed there are several gay players in the NHL currently along with members of the training staff and journalists, however none have come out publicly.

That (and the fact that the Sharks are my team) was why I bought a Tommy Wingels jersey over the more popular (and admittedly often better playing) teammates - he's on the You Can Play board. He supports us; I'll support him.

It's also worth mentioning that the NHL has officially and frequently said that any player who chooses to come out will get their full support. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for girlfriendless and adorable Martin Jones, who doesn't know my husband and I have adopted him in our heads.

Heck, there are some guys I think are hot partly because of their clothes.   Here are some more G-rated sexpots:

:cool2:

Gay bars and clubs, and the majority subset of gays that frequent them, are what a lot of people think of when they talk about "gay life" or "gay culture". I know they were my only points of access for years, and I don't think I'm in the minority there. That's probably a big factor in all the drug and alcohol use, you think? 

In my experience (without looking for studies), gays also tend to have more stress and internal conflicts, hence more need for escapism.

I think another factor is the fact that every guy who identifies as gay has by definition faced down one of the biggest taboos there is (in most cultures). We know from personal experience that "what everyone knows" is horse crap, and one of the most empowering points in all of our lives (coming out) came from, essentially, telling society to fuck off and doing our own thing. I believe that, having done that, we're a lot more open to examining other taboos - extreme forms of kinky sex, for a prominent example; sexual chastity in relationships… I'm sure you can think of others. For me, it was a very tiny step to indulging my curiosity about mind-altering substances. I guess I'm saying that, yes, being gay is a gateway drug.  ;D