Once again, the city of San Francisco – and in this case, its beloved home baseball team, the San Francisco Giants – will be coming out to proudly demonstrate why the City by the Bay has often been referred to by those who know and love it as “The City that Knows How.”
In a historic announcement by SF Giants CEO Larry Baer, the team declared its respect and support for San Francisco’s immense LGBTQ+ community by taking Pride to the ball game through a decision to incorporate Pride flag colors into their on-field hats and jerseys during Pride Month. In a full-fledged show of support that might have been unthinkable only a few years ago, Baer proudly stated on behalf of his team:
“We are extremely proud to stand with the LGBTQ+ community as we kick off one of the best annual celebrations in San Francisco by paying honor to the countless achievements and contributions of all those who identify as LGBTQ+ and are allies of the LGBTQ+ community.”
On Saturday, June 5, as they face off against the Chicago Cubs at Oracle Park, the Giants will come out sporting new caps and jerseys designed for this momentous occasion. Their home jerseys will feature an SF patch on the right sleeve that incorporates the 11 colors of the Pride flag, and their caps will also feature the same 11 colors inside the SF logo. The colors – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, brown, light blue, pink, and white – represent the diversity and inclusivity of the LGBTQ+ community.
Oracle Park will also be decked out for this historic occasion, with the palm tree trunks in Willie Mays Plaza wrapped in the 11 Pride colors and the scoreboard showing Pride colors throughout the month of June. Billy Jean, MLB’s Vice President and Special Assistant to the Commissioner – as well as the first-ever Ambassador for inclusion in the MLB – will be on hand for the occasion on June 5.
This trailblazing display of support on the part of Baer and his entire staff and players highlights the team’s understanding and commitment to the spirit of its home city, as San Francisco has long been considered one of the nation’s most LGBTQ+ friendly cities in the United States, and has been a haven for LGBTQ+ liberation since the very beginning of the Pride movement.
The Giants are following the lead of their High-A affiliates, the Eugene Emeralds, who became the first minor league team to sport Pride jerseys in 2019.
In addition to the visible display of support on June 5, the Giants will also extend their support for Pride month by featuring Pride Movie Night at Oracle Park on June 11 and 12, much to the delight of their colorfully diverse fan base in San Francisco.
When it comes to making history and scoring major points among their local community, Larry Baer and his Giants have definitely hit the ball out of the park with this historic decision!