Gays go to the game

Gays aren’t supposed to be sports fanatics. I have to say plenty of my friends live up to that stereotype. I am however a big fan of pretty much every sport – football, cricket, tennis, motor racing, rugby, the list goes on – and I have to confess to a quite worrying encyclopedic knowledge of most of them.

Baseball is not a sport that has ever sparked much interest for me mainly due to the fact that it is simply not played or shown on television back home in England, but since I moved to the States I have been planning to catch a game.

It was not a priority but something I thought I should take in at some point. I have been to a game before in Houston, but spent most of the time comparing baseball to cricket, and explaining the rules and intricacies of the gentleman’s game to my cousin.

Last week a friend mentioned to me that the local team, the Washington Nationals was hosting Night OUT at the Nationals described as “a night for gay men and lesbians to head out to RFK Stadium and catch some baseball and hot dogs”.

Part of me was a little reluctant to go. I am perfectly capable and comfortable going to a sporting event on any night of the week, and do not need this part of my life to be ghettoized. But I thought what the hell it might be fun and jumped on the Metro with a bunch of friends on Monday night for “gay baseball”!

Despite my reservations I had a great time. Over 2000 gay fans in the specially assigned seating area were treated to a rendition of the national anthem from the Gay Men’s Chorus (I missed it but I gather it was awesome!), the opening pitch from Cornelius Baker, former Executive Director of Whitman-Walker Clinic (see picture of me with him), and an after-party at a local gay sports bar. Most importantly of course the Washington Nationals won for a change, defeating the Astros 4-3.

This is the third year of the event in DC with similar successful versions taking place at the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago Cubs

According to the Washington Blade this week a representative from the Baltimore Orioles said the team has not been approached by any organization seeking to start a gay night, and as a result no such evening has been planned.

This is not the point as far as I’m concerned.

There is a place of course for events like this initiated by the community and this was a good example of that but it is also good business sense on the part of clubs. They should be actively organizing these types of special events with of course the support of local gay and lesbian networks and not waiting for us to come to then.

I would have gone to the baseball anyway and will do again when it’s not “gay night”, but it was a great way of getting me along to the stadium by offering something extra to make it more attractive for me.

It should be a no-brainer for baseball teams everywhere, and sports clubs all around the world, to be tapping into this market which is not traditionally associated with sport but which has plenty of fans like me.

I will go to see live sport anyway but an extra hook like this of a special “gay night” is a clever way of getting me the Metro to the game and getting many of my friends along who may never have been before.

Back in England the Football Association is attempting to drive homophobia out of the sport. They have been hampered by the lack of out gay professional players, but something like a “gay night” might be a good place to start to engage gay people with the game, change perceptions of the profile of a typical football supporter, and perhaps most importantly to get them through the turnstiles for one night and quite possibly many more.

Share | July 19th, 2007 1 Comment »
Tags: Sports Marketing