PRIDE WEEK
THE VIEW FROM THE OUTFIELD
Billy Bean, openly gay former pro baseball player and MLB Ambassador for Inclusion, speaks to Boston Pride about out athletics. Credit: Amy West.
Boston Pride has enjoyed a strong partnership try that want to know where MLB stands on many with the Boston Red Sox for the past four years, and social issues, and it’s my responsibility to communithis year LGBTQ and ally Red Sox fans will be cate with everyone as best I can. treated to a truly memorable experience. Prior to the game and first-ever rainbow flag raising over the BP: Do you think that the environment in Major ballpark, there will be an opportunity for Pride League Sports has changed for the better for Night @ Fenway Park VIP ticket holders to meet LGBTQ players? Billy Bean, the only openly gay Major League BaseBB: I can only speak to our working environment in ball player (current or former) alive today. From 1987 Major League Baseball. If there are LGBTQ players to 1995 he was an outfielder for the Detroit Tigers, in our sport who have chosen not to disclose their Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres. Major sexual orientation, I’m certain they would tell you the League Baseball (MLB) named Bean as Ambassa- Credit: Courtesy of MLB. environment is getting better and better each day. (It dor of Inclusion in 2014, and recently expanded his is absolutely better than when I was a player.) The role as Vice President, Social Responsibility and Inclusion. Billy Bean conversation is still new to some, but I’m very proud of baseball for took a moment to speak with Pride about his work for the MLB, his continuing to lead in the area of social responsibility. Our goal is to experience as a gay big leaguer, and the changing atmosphere for out help our players be role models to our fans, and understand the reathletes in professional sports: sponsibility that comes with being a big leaguer. (As of today, we have only one active minor league player, named David Denson, who has Boston Pride (BP): Please describe your role as MLB Ambassador publicly conveyed that he is a member of the LGBTQ community). for Inclusion. What are your duties and responsibilities? Billy Bean (BB): My role as MLB Ambassador for Inclusion is mul- BP: Are there differences in the way that the different professional tifaceted. My primary job is to communicate and educate our players sports handle the issue of LGBTQ players who are coming out while about our Workplace Code of Conduct, which states that MLB has a player? Are some sports better than others at this? a zero tolerance policy for harassment or discrimination based on BB: There has only been one player in the history of the four major race, color, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation. My personal men’s team sports who came out while still an active player, and that story as a former Major League Player, and being the second former is former NBA basketball player, Jason Collins. [Collins marched in big league player in our sport’s 147 year history to publicly disclose the 2013 Boston Pride Parade shortly after coming out as gay. –Ed.] that I am gay, is a unique opportunity to speak with each of our 30 clubs (in many different formats, from players, to front offices, minor BP: What is the feedback from fans regarding the MLB support of leaguers, and stakeholders) about the values that matter most to base- LGBTQ players? ball. There is also a tremendous amount of outreach from individuals BB: Our sport has never had an active major league player come out, and different organizations in various communities around the coun- so I have yet to listen to feedback from fans in that exact situation.
88 | Boston Pride 2016
