Brendan Gilmore Burke (December 8, 1988 – February 5, 2010) was an athlete and student manager at Miami University for the RedHawks men's ice hockey team.

Brendan Gilmore Burke[5] was born on December 8, 1988, in Vancouver, British Columbia,[6] and was the younger son and third of four children of his father's first marriage.

[7] During high school, Burke played hockey as a goaltender on the varsity team,[7] but quit because he worried that his teammates would discover that he was gay.

[9] He interned on Capitol Hill in the summer of 2009 for U.S. Representative Bill Delahunt,[2] and became a student manager at Miami University,[8] responsible for recruiting correspondences, reviewing game film, working with coaches, and analyzing players.

[9] As an advocate, Burke returned yearly to his high school to give talks on his experience coming to terms with his sexuality in a largely homophobic sports culture and the positive personal impact of his father's support.

[8] Burke's public coming out was met with wide support from the press and fans,[13] with the ESPN interview garnering praise from the hockey world.

[9] The news of his father's acceptance of his sexual orientation also earned Brian Burke praise from press and fans inside and outside the hockey world.

[15][16] In a later TSN interview, Burke stated that he hoped that telling his story would allow gay athletes and pro sports workers to know that there were supportive, safe environments for them and would encourage them to step forward as well.

Duhatschek commented that NHL players were reluctant to discuss the recent news and the subject in general, attributing it to a culture of machismo in professional sports.

[1][2][11][21] While he was driving in heavy snow near Economy, Indiana,[21] his 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee slid sideways into the path of an oncoming 1997 Ford F-150 truck, killing him and his friend, Mark Reedy, a Michigan State University athlete, who was in the passenger seat.

[14] The funeral was held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic church in Canton, Massachusetts, where his family lives,[2] with nearly 1,000 people, including the full roster of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Miami University Hockey Redhawks, in attendance.

[28] During the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the United States Men's Hockey Team wore dog tags inscribed with the words "In Memory of Brendan Burke".

"[4] Assistant coach of the RedHawks Nick Petraglia attested to the commonplace use of gay slurs in hockey culture and stated that Burke's coming out impacted their program in addressing homophobia.

[10] Since Brendan's death, his father has continued advocating against homophobia in professional sports, giving speeches at schools, marching in the annual Toronto Pride Parade, and working with former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, whose son is also openly gay, through PFLAG.