Every year a growing number of professional baseball teams are inviting the GLBT community to come and enjoy a day “out” at the old ball game. Among the teams hosting such events this year are the Boston Red Socks, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Oakland A’s. Additionally, the Baltimore Orioles, Florida Marlins and San Francisco Giants are all hosting AIDS awareness days this year.

In 1994, the Giants became the first-ever professional sports team to host an AIDS benefit game, and titled the event “Until There’s A Cure Day”.

Since then, the Giants and the Giants Community Fund have repeated the effort, generating more than $750,000 for Bay area AIDS education, care and service organizations and international AIDS research. This year’s game was held on Sunday, July 11, and, during a pre-game ceremony, the Giants Community Fund presented $50,000 in grants to the Diablo Valley AIDS Center, Marin AIDS Project, New Leaf: Services for Our Community, Project Open Hand and Sunburst Projects.

The Giants will make history again, taking gay day at the park festivities to a new level with the first-ever “LGBT Singles Night OUT at SBC Park”. Patterned after a regular series of singles nights that target the straight community, the LGBT Singles Night OUT will provide a venue for singles in the GLBT community.

In June 2001, Chicago’s GLBT community launched the longest running annual gay day at any professional sports event. “Out at the Ballgame” remains the largest gathering of gays, lesbians and their friends at a major league baseball game anywhere in the United States. Over the last two years, the GLBT contingent at historic Wrigley Field has swelled to over 2,000 participants and the GLTB community is recognized in pre-game ceremonies as well. This year’s Out at the Ballgame is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 15, when the Cubs will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Every year it keeps getting bigger and bigger,” said Bill Gubrud, event founder and Chicago Free Press senior advertising representative. “Everybody who goes makes a difference. We’re community and we’re proving that we can pack the ballpark if we want to.”

Toronto even used its first gay day at the ballpark event June 24 to kick off its weeklong celebration of Pride. Rainbow flags were flying at the Toronto SkyDome as over 600 GLBT fans watched the Blue Jays defeat their Canadian rivals, the Montreal Expos, 3-1.

For the pre-game ceremonies, “Welcome Pride Toronto” was displayed on the Jumbotron in centerfield followed by a special Pride video. Openly gay Canadian Olympic gold medallist Mark Tewksbury helped present a $1,500 check to the Toronto Pride Committee on behalf of the Blue Jays and “Queer As Folk” actress Sharon Gless threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Simone Denny, who sings the theme song for “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”, sang the Canadian national anthem, “O Canada”.

The day was a “symbolic gesture,” said Paul Godfrey, president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball club. “We want the community to know that we are open and welcoming to all.”

He added: “We don’t expect to hit a home run the first time, but we hope this will be a good start and that we can develop a base of support.” Godfrey said the team only received a handful of negative calls and letters prior to the event, and that he answered these personally.

This week, the Philadelphia Phillies hosted their second annual gay day at the stadium and on Monday, Sept. 13, the New York Mets will host “Out @ The Ballgame” at Shea Stadium, the city’s first-ever gay day event. Sponsors for the New York Mets event include the GLBT softball club Big Apple Softball League, the New York Blade and Outsports.com. Here in San Diego, there are no current plans to host a local gay day at the Padres new home, Petco Park.