The girls' hockey team at the high school in Woodstock, N.B., has won a provincial human rights award for the way they defended two teammates after they came out as gay.

'We are not only a team, but we are a family and families stick together and stand up for each other no matter what.'— Jami Manderville, teammate

The Woodstock High School Lady Thunder hockey team has won the 2009 New Brunswick Human Rights Award for refusing to let rival teams taunt their teammates about their sexual orientation.

The Human Rights Commission says it wanted to reward the team for its action in standing up against homophobia.

"Individually, and as a team, these women exemplify the leadership qualities in the promotion of human rights that make them worthy recipients of the 2009 New Brunswick Human Rights Award," said Gordon Porter, chair of the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission in a statement.

Two Lady Thunder players told their teammates that they are gay after word about it started spreading online.

Alyssa McLean and Sierra Paul said it wasn't easy to do but they soon found they didn't have anything to worry about from their teammates.

"Within our team it was fine. We supported them," said Hannah Steeves, a teammate.

Even though the other players on the school's hockey team were fine with the news, the girls were subjected to on-ice taunts from players on a rival team. After the game, Steeves said the team wouldn't shake the two girls' hands.

Then the girls were mistreated at a local fast-food restaurant. "They wouldn't serve us. They were rude," said Sarah Ryder, another teammate.

Fought back with buttons

The Woodstock team came up with a rather simple, but direct plan to fight back: buttons.

The team circulated rainbow-coloured buttons with the word homophobia crossed out.

"We are not only a team, but we are a family and families stick together and stand up for each other no matter what," said Jami Manderville, a teammate.

Soon the players, coaches and parents were wearing the buttons to their games. And that is when a team in Edmundston asked them about it.

"They thought it was cool and so we gave them our pins and they put them on," McLean said.

Porter said others should follow the team's example in standing up against the threatening attitudes.

"The way in which these young women responded to these incidents by promoting respect and acceptance for sexual orientation diversity within their hockey league serves as a model for the promotion of human rights among youth," said Gordon Porter, chair of the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission in a statement.