NEW YORK (AP) – The Federation of Gay Games has announced that Billy Bean, a prominent spokesperson for the GLBT community and 10-year professional baseball veteran, is joining the Gay Games Ambassadors program.

“For 20 years the Gay Games has been instrumental in fostering positive images of the LGBT community through sports and culture,” said Bean from his home in Miami Beach. “As a lifelong athlete and gay man, supporting the Gay Games and its principles of ‘participation, inclusion and personal best’ is something I can embrace with a great amount of enthusiasm. I’m pleased to be asked to join the Gay Games Ambassadors.”

Gay Games VII will be held in Chicago July 15-22, 2006. Bean joins a list of Gay Games ambassadors supporting the upcoming Chicago event.

Bean, a California native, began his career with the Detroit Tigers in 1987 by tying a U.S. record with four hits in his first major league game. He subsequently played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. In 1996, in the prime of his career, Bean walked away from major league baseball, in part because of a year-long struggle dealing with the sudden death of his former partner, he said, and the frustration of holding onto that secret alone. His desire to not let that happen to anyone else motivated him to come out in 1999, sharing his story and urging people to use honesty as a foundation for life.

For the past five years, Bean has worked actively to dispel myths and stereotypes about people of diversity, particularly in athletics. He serves as a national spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, providing outreach to young adults who are desperately in need of role models.

“Billy’s accomplishments since his days in professional baseball have brought him widespread attention and admiration because he’s been working to make a positive difference in the world,” said Federation of Gay Games co-president Roberto Mantaci. “He is a perfect addition to our Ambassadors program as the Gay Games has similar goals.”

Bean is one of very few former professional athletes and the only living former major league baseball player to publicly acknowledge that he is gay. He and his partner of nine years, Efrain Veiga, share a real estate business that focuses on redeveloping residential properties. Bean is the author of Going the Other Way: Lessons from a Life In and Out of Major League Baseball. A film adaptation of his book, produced by Storyline Entertainment, will air soon on Showtime.

“I’m also looking forward to participating at the Chicago Gay Games by playing in the tennis tournament,” said Bean. “And, although I won’t be playing softball, you can bet I’ll find time to attend a game or two to give some encouraging cheers.”