PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- In a first for New York City's professional baseball community, the Mets will host an LGBT Pride Night this season. The team plans to unveil details Tuesday at a news conference in Queens alongside Billy Bean, MLB's vice president of social responsibility and inclusion; LGBT Network CEO David Kilmnick; US Congressman Steve Israel; and several New York City elected officials. Mr. and Mrs. Met will be on hand as well.
According to the LGBT Network, the Mets' Pride Night will be a first for any professional sports team in New York City -- though the NHL's Islanders did hold an awareness night earlier this month. MLB teams including the A's, Rays and White Sox have also held Pride Nights in the past.
The Mets have hosted many diversity events over the years, including their popular "Fiesta Latina" event and their Jewish and Japanese Heritage nights. But they have never been part of an LGBT event.
Bean, who was named MLB's Ambassador for Inclusion in 2014 before his promotion in January, is an openly gay former ballplayer who visited Mets camp last spring.
"The Mets have a lot of fans in the LGBT community … and there's a lot of fans who worship these guys," Bean said during his visit. "My message is the same: that everybody deserves a fair chance to be the best they can be."