Yankees have yet to hold gay pride event

NEW YORK — On a recent Saturday night at Citi Field, the New York Mets rolled out the red (and orange, yellow, green, blue and violet) carpet for the gay community. The Coca-Cola sign in the outfield was lit up in rainbow colors. The Kiss Cam was filled with same-sex couples smooching. The color guard carried a rainbow flag. And gay officers from the New York and Nassau County police departments were honored, as was a gay war veteran.

The Mets are hardly alone in offering such welcoming gestures. The NBA had its own float, with Commissioner Adam Silver aboard, in the Pride March in Manhattan last month. That same day, the Cubs’ World Series trophy — draped in a rainbow flag — rode on a float in Chicago’s parade. And many sports teams, including a large majority in baseball, have hosted gay-themed events.

But one team that has not done so is the New York Yankees, even though their city helped give birth to the modern gay rights movement.

That most teams have chosen to stage a pride day or night at their ballparks is not surprising, because thematic promotions to draw fans have long been part of baseball’s culture.

Those events have ranged from the infamous Disco Demolition Night once staged by the Chicago White Sox to the Mets’ Jewish and Irish heritage nights. The San Francisco Giants will host an African-American heritage night in September.

The Yankees have in recent years largely shied away from promotions with an ethnic or cultural flavor, although there are regular instances when they honor a cause with a brief pregame ceremony, such as last year’s Puerto Rican Day Parade.

And while the Yankees have chosen to refrain from holding a gay pride event at Yankee Stadium, a team spokesman, Jason Zillo, said there had been involvement behind the scenes.

Among the examples he cited: the work by general manager Brian Cashman and assistant general manager Jean Afterman with organizations that assist lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youths; a pregame ceremony last year to acknowledge those killed in a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla.; and an invitation to Billy Bean, the gay Major League Baseball executive who promotes inclusion, to speak with Yankees players on the major and minor league levels.

“Everyone of every nationality, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation and/or preference is welcome at Yankee Stadium every day,” Zillo said in a statement. “We are a long-term believer in diversity and inclusion, and have always looked to create a safe and supportive environment for all fans to enjoy their experience here.”

Years ago, the doors of the old Yankee Stadium were opened for the closing ceremony of the 1994 Gay Games, and 40,000 people showed up. Nevertheless, in an era when Major League Baseball has taken steps to promote inclusiveness, most notably with the hiring of Bean in 2014, the Yankees have shown no inclination to hold a night for LGBT fans. The Cubs are believed to be the first team to have had such an event, in 2001, and by the end of this season, only three teams besides the Yankees — the Los Angeles Angels, the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers — will apparently not have had one, according to the website Outsports.com and news reports.

In addition to the Yankees, the Angels confirmed that they had not had a pride event. The Brewers and the Reds did not respond to requests for comment.

“If big-market teams like the Dodgers, Cubs and Nationals can do it, it begs the question: Why aren’t the Yankees doing it?” said Bill Gubrud, who helped organize the initial event at Wrigley Field.

The Philadelphia Phillies began hosting their pride night soon after, when Larry Felzer, a lawyer, organized what would become an annual event. The Phillies took it over last year, but the event’s infrastructure had been established by Felzer. The Dodgers’ pride night, begun four years ago, has become so popular that promoters are bidding to host it.

Bean, who spoke at the Yankees’ major league and minor league camps in spring training, said that the team had been supportive and that the conversation about pride events was relatively new.

“The idea of a team not hosting a pride night is not a complete assessment of its stance on inclusion, especially where baseball’s responsibility lies,” he said.