Mets planning first-ever Pride Night at Citi Field this season
The New York Mets will hold their first LGBT-themed Pride Night this season with more than 5,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender fans are expected.
Other pro sports franchises have held Pride Nights for their LGBT fans, including the NHL’s New York Islanders earlier this month. A date for Pride Night at Citi Field will be announced next week, but LGBT Network CEO David Kilmnick, who is involved in putting together this promotional night with the franchise, told Page Six he’s happy his Mets are beating the Yankees on this one. Kilmnick is a Mets fan.
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The Chicago Cubs are believed to be the first to host a game dedicated to the LGBT community in 2001. Since then other MLB teams such as the Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals have done so.
Like other MLB teams, the Mets host a variety of themed games throughout the season and other games featuring special giveaways. It’s a staple in the major leagues and helps attract some fans to games when they might not otherwise come.
Its a positive step forward for any pro sports team to recognize that a percentage of its fanbase is gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender and publicly acknowledging those fans by designating a game for them. It’s good to see the Mets take this step after the organization spent time last season defending itself against charges that is was promoting homophobia through its Kiss Cam gag during games.
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The Mets eventually stopped showing images of opposing players during those in-game segments on the video boards at the urging of one of the franchise’s fans.
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Kyle Ringo is a contributing writer to Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo
