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REBECCA ARMENDARIZ
Friday, June 20, 2008
Gay
sports
fans
will
storm
the
District’s
new
ballpark
for
the
fourth
annual
Night
Out
at
the
Nationals
on
Monday.
The
event,
which
is
sanctioned
and
co-sponsored
by
the
team,
attracted
more
than
2,400
gay
fans
last
year,
according
to
Chartese
Burnett,
vice
president
of
communications
for
the
team.
The
first
year,
2005,
brought
1,600
to
RFK
stadium.
More
than
1,700
have
bought
tickets
so
far
for
this
year’s
event.
Sponsors
include
Bud
Lite
and
Nellie’s
Sports
Bar.
The
cheap
seats
(going
for
$10)
have
sold
out,
according
to
Team
D.C.
head
Brent
Minor.
Team
D.C.
serves
as
the
District
gay
community’s
umbrella
sports
organization.
The
increase
in
attendees
since
the
event’s
inception
may
be
attributed,
in
part,
to
an
outreach
initiative
that
has
brought
more
lesbians
to
the
game.
“Sometimes
it’s
a
struggle
to
get
women
involved
in
the
sports
club,”
he
said.
“They
come,
see
a
bunch
of
men
and
get
discouraged.”
Without
the
support
of
the
Nationals
baseball
team
and
its
staff,
Minor
said,
the
night
wouldn’t
be
as
successful
as
it
is.
“We
couldn’t
do
this
without
them
working
with
us
very
closely,”
he
said.
The
Nationals
promote
the
night
on
the
team’s
web
site
and
give
Team
D.C.
a
discount
on
the
tickets.
When
the
organizers
wanted
the
Gay
Men’s
Chorus
of
Washington
to
sing
the
National
Anthem,
the
Nationals
officials,
who
usually
place
a
cap
on
the
number
of
people
who
can
participate
in
the
singing,
granted
permission
for
the
entire
chorus
to
perform.
“The
Nationals
were
right
there,
right
behind
us
at
Pride,”
Minor
said.
“They’re
beginning
to
wake
up
and
realize
what
a
great
market
this
is.”
The
nominations
committee
solicited
on
the
Team
D.C
web
site
for
suggestions
as
to
who
should
throw
the
first
pitch.
In
the
end,
Moody
Mustafa,
a
longtime
hometown
activist
and
caregiver
for
AIDS
patients,
was
selected.
Other
teams
that
host
a
gay
baseball
event
include
the
Atlanta
Braves,
Boston
Red
Sox,
Chicago
Cubs,
Chicago
White
Sox,
Los
Angeles
Dodgers,
Milwaukee
Brewers,
Minnesota
Twins,
New
York
Mets,
Oakland
A’s,
Philadelphia
Phillies,
Pittsburgh
Pirates,
San
Diego
Padres,
San
Francisco
Giants,
Texas
Rangers
and
Toronto
Blue
Jays,
according
to
Gay
Baseball
Days,
a
Toronto-based
organization
that
promotes
the
events
and
encourages
teams
to
reach
out
to
their
gay
fan
base.
In
San
Francisco,
the
gay
baseball
night
is
organized
by
the
team
itself,
the
Giants.
Mark
Kari,
head
of
Gay
Baseball
Days,
said
it’s
rare
for
a
team
not
to
support
gay
events.
“They’re
in
business
to
sell
seats
to
the
public,”
he
said.
“And
when
the
public
—
gay
or
otherwise
—
is
going
to
bring
a
large
group
of
people
to
support
the
team,
they
are
all
for
it.”
Some
teams
even
go
the
extra
mile,
he
said.
“Teams
are
very
supportive
and
willing
to
stand
up
to
bigots
and
anti-gay
people
who
may
try
to
turn
these
events
to
their
own
advantage,”
he
said.
“To
teams,
fans
are
fans.
And
if
the
fans
support
the
team,
the
team
supports
the
fans.”
These
nights
also
serve
to
dispel
the
myth
that
gay
people
don’t
like
sports,
Minor
said.
It’s
also
“a
chance
for
visibility,
but
in
a
very
positive,
proactive,
non-threatening,
fun
and
supportive
way,”
he
said.
“Anything
that
makes
people
feel
better
about
themselves
is
going
to
make
them
a
better
member
of
our
society,”
he
said.
“It’s
just
a
big
‘ole
slice
of
American
pie.”
The
Gay
Men’s
Chorus
of
Washington
sings
at
6:45
p.m.
and
the
game
against
the
L.A.
Angels
of
Anaheim
starts
at
7:10
p.m.
The
10th
Inning
After-Game
Party
will
begin
after
the
game
at
Nellie’s
Sports
Bar.
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