During Pride Month, Major League Baseball and its clubs implemented special events and activations to honor the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, including hosting Pride nights and discussions on LGBTQ+ issues in sports.
Pride Month is a celebration of LGBTQ+ identities that takes place every June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, an event that became a symbol of resistance against discrimination. Pride Month celebrates the LGBTQ+ community today, but also honors the unrecognized impact of individuals throughout history.
Here is how MLB commemorated Pride Month in 2021.
Events
In collaboration with PFLAG, MLB hosted a Lunch and Learn series for its employees on a range of topics, including supporting LGBTQ+ identities, fostering inclusion and being a trans ally.
• June 5: What the +?: Understanding and Supporting Expansive LGBTQ+ identities
• June 11: Be Kind, Rewind: Recognizing Your Role in Building Inclusion
• June 25: Becoming a Trans Ally and Going Beyond the Binary
MLB also released a new conversation in its Unfiltered series, which discusses diversity and inclusion topics in baseball. In the latest edition, “Working OUT,” MLB VP and special assistant to the Commissioner Billy Bean hosted a panel with top baseball executives about LGBTQ+ issues in sports.
Nona Lee (D-backs executive VP & chief legal officer), Erik Braverman (Dodgers senior VP of marketing, communications & broadcasting), Greg Bader (Orioles senior VP of administration & experience), Roscoe Mapps (Giants VP of external affairs) and Dale Scott (former MLB umpire) joined Bean to discuss how LGBTQ+ inclusion has grown in MLB, as well as the importance of allyship.
“I just think it’s important for us all to remember that we represent everyone everywhere, and that there is an intersectionality opportunity there,” Bean said in the panel. “We’re getting better. The world’s not perfect. Baseball is pointed in the right direction everywhere. There’s so much growth, it’s happening so fast -- we have a lot of work to do.”
In addition, MLB hosted the OUT Athlete scholarship group for its “Step Up to the Plate” program, which included career panel discussions and networking opportunities.
Club activations
Several clubs held Pride Nights throughout the month and continued to do work in their communities. Here is a sampling of the special activations across the league:
A’s: Oakland renamed its Pride night to Glenn Burke Pride Night in honor of the first openly gay MLB player and sold tickets at a 25 percent discount. The team distributed rainbow rally towels as a giveaway, and a portion of the proceeds from each ticket went to the Glenn Burke Wellness Clinic at the Oakland LGBTQ Center.
Dodgers: The Dodgers teamed up with their long-time community nonprofit partner, LA Pride, to host their annual Pride Night, which included drink specials in the pavilion bars, special recognition of LGBTQ+ frontline workers from Los Angeles and a pregame ceremony featuring surprise guests. A special event ticket package included a ticket to the game and an exclusive Dodgers LGBTQ+-themed T-shirt.
Giants: On June 4, the Pride flag was incorporated into the Giants’ caps and uniforms, making San Francisco the first MLB team to wear Pride-specific uniforms. The team gave away a limited edition “SF Pride” T-shirt to every fan who purchased a special event ticket, and a portion of the proceeds were donated to San Francisco Pride.
Yankees: The Yankees celebrated New York’s legacy of pride by acknowledging the 2021 recipients of the Yankees-Stonewall Scholarship Initiative in a Monument Park ceremony. First awarded in 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn Uprising, the initiative annually awards five $10,000 college scholarships to one graduating high school senior from each of the five boroughs of New York City.
In the media
Dale Scott became an MLB umpire in 1986. He began bringing his now-husband on work trips in the late '90s. In 2014, he became the first openly gay official in the “Big Four” American sports leagues -- and received a very positive response. Scott reflected on his road to coming out for MLB.com.
“If someone has an issue with me being gay, it’s really not my issue, it’s their issue,” Scott said. “I got to the point where I know and am happy with who I am. If you’re not, I guess you have to deal with that.”
MLB photographer Danielle Cortez was worried that there would no longer be a place for her in baseball when she came out as a trans woman last year. Instead, she found empowerment in being out at work -- and wants to ensure that other LGBTQ+ baseball fans can find that same comfort in the game.
“I’m not hiding anymore. I’m me. I know who I am. I have so much more confidence now,” Cortez told The Athletic (subscription required). “I never knew this kind of confidence and even happiness was possible.”