Dodgers celebrate 10th annual Pride Night

June 17th, 2023
Billy Bean, MLB's senior VP of diversity, equity & inclusion and a special assistant to the Commissioner, waves to the crowd at Dodger Stadium.Meg Oliphant/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers hosted their 10th annual Pride Night at Dodger Stadium on Friday against the Giants. All Dodgers players and staffers wore the team’s Pride hats, which featured a rainbow-colored Dodgers logo.

“For me, it just always goes back to loving everyone,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “And as the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a baseball team, I welcome, we welcome anyone that comes through these gates to support our ballclub."

Before the game, the Dodgers recognized a number of groups that have provided a lot within the LGBTQ+ community over the years. The Los Angeles chapter of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence received this year’s Community Hero Award for their work in the community, ministry and outreach to those on the edges, in addition to promoting human rights and respect for diversity and spiritual enlightenment.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were joined on the field about an hour before first pitch by former Dodgers outfielder Billy Bean, one of the only Major League players to come out publicly after his playing career. David Archuleta, a multi-platinum, international recording artist, sang the national anthem before the game.

As they’ve done in the past, the Dodgers Foundation will donate 50 percent of the proceeds of the 50/50 raffle to the Los Angeles LGBT Center. In 2022, $66,000 was raised on Pride Night.

“Having grown up in Los Angeles, I feel like L.A. is an inclusive city,” said Giants manager Gabe Kapler, who will also be wearing a Pride Night hat. “I expect that, in the ballpark, we’ll have more of that tonight.”