Love wins in San Francisco as Giants host Pride Day vow renewal ceremony for LGBTQ couples

Welcome back to Talkin’ Gaysball where we Say Hey forever.

As the home team of one of America’s most historically significant gay cities, the San Francisco Giants have made reaching out to our community a priority for several decades.

From observing Until There’s a Cure Day starting in 1994 to becoming the first MLB team to wear rainbow logo caps during a game, they’ve also been one of MLB’s most successful LGBTQ innovators.

This year, their focus on leading the way for the rest of baseball in LGBTQ outreach inspired one of MLB’s most genuinely heartwarming Pride moments.

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As part of Oracle Park’s Pride Day festivities, the Giants hosted a pregame ceremony where nine LGBTQ couples renewed their vows with one another.

According to the team’s Twitter feed, this was the first LGBTQ on-field vow renewal in MLB history.

Nowadays, we’ve gotten so used to seeing the phrase “love wins” that we almost utter it reflexively without thinking about the meaning behind the words.

But here we have an instance of love literally winning in one of the most sublime settings in all of sports. With the crystal waters of McCovey Cove as a backdrop, nine LGBTQ couples had the chance to publicly celebrate their devotion to one another in front of 36 thousand people.

When same-sex couples kissing on the field gets the kind of applause normally reserved for Buster Posey or Tim Lincecum, that’s love doing its impression of the 2010, 2012, and 2014 World Champs.

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Teams like the Giants have shown a desire to keep one-upping themselves during each new Pride celebration. When this happens, you can sometimes see the marketing machine working behind the scenes. 

It’s usually well-intentioned and we always appreciate a team reaching out to the community, especially in an era when corporations are backing away from Pride and hoping no one notices. But there are moments when you can watch the festivities and practically hear the conversations about branding and market share.

This ceremony was different in all of the best ways. It wasn’t an officially licensed rainbow. The Giants were showing their LGBTQ fans that their love belonged on their home field and it was something to be celebrated.

What an absolutely brilliant idea for MLB Pride. I hope it spreads throughout the game.

Meet the Mets…on Scruff?

A few days ago, Queerty’s Alex Reimer pointed out a fascinating MLB Pride Month trend. At the start of June, the New York Mets were floundering along at 24-33.

That wasn’t the fascinating part. It was the kind of abominable performance that Mets fans typically refer to as “May” and it seemed that the Amazin’s were bound for the kind of season that usually climaxes with discovering Mr. Met face down in the gutter.

Then the calendar turned to June and the Mets changed their Twitter avatar to a rainbow logo. And they suddenly started winning. A lot. 

The newly rechristened Gay Mets have since gone on an 11-5 romp and the only person having a better Pride Month is anyone who owns an establishment named the Pink Pony Club.

What’s more, on June 12, the Gay Mets invited androgynous icon Grimace to throw out the first pitch and subsequently kicked off a seven game winning streak, causing New York fans to google the phrase “Is a genderqueer fast food mascot eligible for the Cy Young Award?”

This has been all in good fun. But I’m afraid this is the point where I have to rain on the Flushing Pride Parade. 

Because this weekend, the Mets are coming to Wrigley Field to play my beloved Chicago Cubs. What’s more, they’ll be the opponent on Sunday when the Cubs unveil a statue of my favorite player of all time: Ryne Sandberg (a Hall of Fame legend who marched in the Chicago Pride Parade).

So for the next three days, I am using my status as Your Friendly Neighborhood Baseball Gay to steal the Gay Mets’ rainbow mojo and transfer it to the Gay Cubs. If you need to find me this weekend, I’ll be lighting a candle to Sabrina Carpenter and chanting this Pride incantation:

Say you can’t swing, Pete Alonso?
That’s that team, Go Cubs Go.

I know using these powers seems a bit drastic. But after watching the Cubs bullpen sabotage Pride Night like they were sponsored by Hobby Lobby, I’m a desperate man.

MLB Thirst Trap of the Week

The Rangers make an easy target during Pride Month. Fish, barrel, etc.

LGBTQ Rangers fans deserve a little break. So I’d like to remind them that not only do they have the reigning World Series MVP on their roster in Corey Seager, but that they occasionally have the privilege of getting lost in his amazing eyes just by wandering into a local fast food establishment.

I’m sorry, I completely forgot my order. One snack to go, please.

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