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Friday, June 6, 2008

The Mariners and Gay Daze

posted by on June 6 at 12:21 PM

Michael Coleman lived in Atlanta and San Francisco before moving to Seattle two years ago. Coleman is a 42 year-old “sports nut and baseball fan,” and in both of the previous cities in which he lived—at Braves and Giants games—Coleman attended official gay nights at their teams respective ballparks.

“In Atlanta, first time we had gone to one, they had three or four thousand people show up for their gay night and sit in one section,” says Coleman. “It was a great time.”

Coleman and his partner were shocked when they discovered that the Seattle Mariners didn’t have a gay night.

“Seattle is such a liberal city,” says Coleman. “I thought when I got here that the Mariners were really missing the boat here.”

Coleman didn’t wait for the Ms to launch an official gay night. He and his partner have hosted two DIY gay nights at Safeco. This year’s “Unofficial Gay Night at Safeco Field” took place in mid-May, on J.J. Putz Bobble Head Night, when the Ms played—and lost to—the San Diego Padres. (The Padres do an official gay night every year in July.) Coleman didn’t put up a website or work too hard to spread the word; he says he just emailed friends, who emailed friends. This years he attracted roughly 40 folks to his Unofficial Gay Night at Safeco Field, qualifying for a group-sales discount.

“We didn’t have a name when I placed our order with the ticket agent,” Coleman told me. “When she asked, ‘What’s the name of your group?’ I just decided to call us the Seattle Gay Adventure Club.”

When the lesbian-kiss-at-Safeco scandal broke last week, Rebecca Hale, public information director for the Seattle Mariners, told me that she wasn’t aware that all other MLB teams on the West Coast—and numerous others across the country, including the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs—host gay nights at their ballparks. She promised to discuss the idea with her marketing and promotions department and get back to me today. (I’ve got a call in to Hale.)

Okay, back to Coleman’s unofficial gay night at Safeco…

During home games the Mariners flash the names of groups at the park that night and “Seattle Gay Adventure Club” appeared on the screen—along with Little League clubs and corporate workplaces—on Coleman’s Unofficial Gay Night at Safeco Field.

“We cheered, and nobody booed or raised an eyebrow. I honestly don’t think anyone really thought anything about it,” says Coleman. “Which makes it that much odder that the Ms don’t just do this themselves.

“Basically, there’s a large group of gay folks out there that enjoy sports,” says Coleman, “and the Ms are missing an opportunity to fill the stands. The Ms aren’t doing well this year, I’m sure they could use more people at the games.”

RSS icon Comments

1

Keep it up, Dan. This isn't anywhere near zzzzville yet.

Posted by Mr. Poe | June 6, 2008 12:25 PM
2

Let it go Dan.

turf wars like this contribute to the reason they absolutely hate us.

It's not as big of a deal as you think it is. One usher/security guard. One instance.

Find your next battle, and soon.

Posted by Non | June 6, 2008 12:25 PM
3

a good example of citizen activism. whoever this dude is he sounds pretty cool, i wish i had known i would have supported his efforts.

Posted by SeMe | June 6, 2008 12:29 PM
4

SEE.. i kne it i lnew it !..
i was there that night.. i go only once every year or so but stunbled in there with a friend because of jj putz bobblehead night ( how can a name like jj putz bobblehead not pique your curiousity ) and when the gay adventure club flashed on the screen, there was an air of confusion in the section i was sitting in, but nobody jeered or booed. there was a lot of looking around to see who was having a gay adventure and all folks saw was me with a big grin on my face..
my boyfriend who has never been to game told me he would go on a gay night, so they should just roll up they sleeves and get to it.. hell we'll pay evens..for tickets to the game fool!

Posted by reverend dr dj riz | June 6, 2008 12:34 PM
5

turf wars like this contribute to the reason they absolutely hate us.

Uh, they'll hate us regardless of any turf war.

Also, has anyone asked Rev Hutch what he thinks of all this?

Posted by Mike in MO | June 6, 2008 12:36 PM
6

#2
who IS this 'they that absolutely hate us'.
and who gives a fuck ?

Posted by reverend dr dj riz | June 6, 2008 12:37 PM
7

That's just it riz, your boyfriend, who has never been to a game, would only go if it were a gay night. Do you not understand what's wrong with that?

Posted by Mr. Poe | June 6, 2008 12:39 PM
8

The Mariners are so post-gay.

Posted by six shooter | June 6, 2008 12:40 PM
9

The whole point of these Nights is to bring out people who wouldn't normally go to a game. Otherwise, they would already be at the game. That said, a gay night would certainly beat the hell out of Stitch and Pitch Night. Really, who thought of that one?

Posted by Jason Josephes | June 6, 2008 12:42 PM
10

Unsure. Doesn't establishing a Gay Night imply that other nights are Straight Nights? Does it really help?

Posted by Gloria | June 6, 2008 12:46 PM
11

I can understand wanting equal treatment but what is so desirable about having marketers pander to you? Just because somebody is trying to sell you some crap doesn't mean they respect you.

Posted by elenchos | June 6, 2008 12:46 PM
12

I can't get over how ridiculous "gay night" for baseball sounds. I need to seriously consider going back in the closet. I totally understand why America is sick of our bitching and moaning and parading and wanting a gay night for everything under the sun like we make up 50% of the goddamn population.

While we're at it, we need a Jewish night, black night, Christian night, non-baseball fan night, smokers night, Scientology night, chicks with dicks night (see also: keshmeshi night), nazi-youth night, the works. For everything. Everything. It must be done. This is how we come to terms with bigotry and intolerance. Yep.

Posted by Mr. Poe | June 6, 2008 12:49 PM
13

great idea. many nongay people would go, too.

but why wait for THEM the CORPORATION to give permision and do it?

Pick a date. Post it on Slog. Start a website or a huge e vite. Go viral. Try to get 3000 people all in one area.

Then just to piss 'em off say that everyone is going to kiss their partner for exactly 3 seconds in the 7th inning stretch because your research shows that's exactly the level of PDA that straights tolerate and kind of enjoy in a whole ball game.

That'd be on TV.

Invite everyone else with a date or a partner to kiss too.

No groping, no NSFW kinky etc.

Be the change you want.

Posted by PC | June 6, 2008 12:51 PM
14

Dan, why don't you offer to have the Stranger sponsor this (theoretical) Gay Night at Safeco? The Free Press sponsors Out at the Ballgame for the Cubs.

Posted by sara | June 6, 2008 12:51 PM
15

I think we need to once and for all dispel with the myth that Seattle is a liberal city.

Posted by Timothy | June 6, 2008 12:53 PM
16

damn typos...

"dispel the myth"

Posted by Timothy | June 6, 2008 12:58 PM
17

Fuck, that poor old dead horse has had the shit beat out of it...

Frankly, the only thing the Mariners are guilty of, is a lack of sporting ability AND a sense of astute contemporary marketing.

Posted by michael strangeways | June 6, 2008 12:59 PM
18

Come on Mariners! We gays like to spend money, don't you want us to spend it on you?

Wait until July 1st, which is a game night and right across the street is the TRUE COLORS Tour at the WAMU Theatre! Both start about the same time! Gays and baseball together!

Posted by NikT22 | June 6, 2008 1:23 PM
19

Mr. Poe, there have been tens of thousands of major league baseball players and not one has come out of the closet until after they retired. I bet a lot of suburbanites at m's games don't think there are any gay sports fans. Thousands of gay sports fans showing up on one night would be a great symbol.

Posted by clubhouse chemistry | June 6, 2008 1:31 PM
20

Rebecca Hale, public information director for the Seattle Mariners, told me that she wasn’t aware that all other MLB teams on the West Coast—and numerous others across the country-host gay nights at their ballparks.

Uh huh. But I bet for sure she could tell you how many seats, parking spaces, private boxes, concessions stands, souvenir booths, advertising spaces, bus routes, and hotels within 10 miles of them all.

Especially when they next ask for a new stadium here.

Safeco and/or Mariners are not reliably pro-gay, that seems to be the long and short of the week's Gays/Mariners news.

Posted by K | June 6, 2008 1:35 PM
21

Who fucking cares? That's their decision.

Bet? Betcha $1,000,000 that the %age of straight fans, and I'm talkin' butch straight, outweighs the gay fans by, oh, 97.7%.

Posted by Mr. Poe | June 6, 2008 1:37 PM
22

#21 @ #19, if that isn't obvious.

Posted by Mr. Poe | June 6, 2008 1:38 PM
23

"Who fucking cares?"

Gee, Mr. Poe, you are a veritable fountain of intellect. Go fuck yourself.

Posted by DENVEROPOLIS | June 6, 2008 1:46 PM
24

It's their decision because coming out would be career suicide (and possible actual suicide, from 90mph baseballs thrown at their heads).

I don't understand your point. Should we get rid of gay bars and gay parades too? We don't want people to show up for those just because they're "gay", right?

Posted by clubhouse chemistry | June 6, 2008 1:50 PM
25

Can I kiss Ichiro yet?

Posted by Vince | June 6, 2008 1:50 PM
26

The Red Sox have a gay night? Not since 2005 ...

According to http://www.gaybaseballdays.com/

Out at Fenway Park
Contact http://www.PrideSportsBoston.com for info. Out at Fenway Park II attracted 1,000 LGBT fans on Thursday September 1, 2005. The 2004 event was attended by 500.

Guess tix are WAY to hard to come by these days.

Posted by Mike in Boston | June 6, 2008 1:54 PM
27

It's enough to make Joey Cora cry.....


Posted by merry | June 6, 2008 1:54 PM
28

@23

Right. It's our responsibility to achieve their own ends.

@24

Thanks for the dramatic baseball-throw line. Really paints the picture of reality.

Gay bars? No. Why would we? Gay parades? I would have zero problem with that, seeing how they're nothing but a series of flaming pansies running around, which would terrify the shit out of the average joe and reinforce the idea that we're all freakshows. (In other words, reinforce homophobia) And hey, slapping religious people in the face like last year and cheering? Good stuff. Yeah I want to be right next to those people.

Posted by Mr. Poe | June 6, 2008 1:58 PM
29

Next time get a longtime M's fan as the mascot, Dan, not some yahoo who just moved here from San Francisco or Atlanta.

Posted by joykiller | June 6, 2008 2:01 PM
30

Keep in mind, I have no problem with gay rights. Duh. I'm gay. But we're stepping out of bounds here and abusing everything we should be standing for. We're not even at the level of equality we should have yet here we are, claiming there should be a gay night for fucking baseball. Come the fuck on.

And the gay bar line was just ridiculous. Of course we wouldn't get rid of gay bars. They're gay bars, not bars. Forcing a normal bar to have a gay night, yeah, I'd be against that.

Posted by Mr. Poe | June 6, 2008 2:07 PM
31

I've always thought bong rip Wednesdays would be a good marketing tool. Think about how many concessions would be sold.

Posted by P to the J | June 6, 2008 2:09 PM
32

And what has the Mariner's record been since the first gathering of the Gay Adventure Club???

By the Reverend's own informal calculations, you've taken 50 points off Ichiro's batting average with your informal outing. Please think of the consequences of an official night prior to proceeding.

Posted by Hutch | June 6, 2008 2:13 PM
33

Does this mean that Bravo will start having to program a straight night once a week?

Posted by michael strangeways | June 6, 2008 2:20 PM
34

This whole topic is gay.

Posted by nerdical. | June 6, 2008 2:58 PM
35

Oh my goodness. Can someone get me a glass of water and an Adderal? Here, Mr. Poe, just walk right over here with me...

{Sounds of muffled screaming...then...silence}

OK, then.

Elenchos had it right: just because they market to you doesn't mean they respect you. So I don't need a gay night at some baseball stadium to affirm me. I affirm myself. I also usually pleasure myself because I am ugly and untouchable, but that's another matter.

Bottom (hee hee) line for me is: respect me. That's all I ask. It doesn't mean big organized hoopla. It just means don't punch me in the face, give me equal rights, and other little things like that. My human dignity does not need to be memorialized in a corporate marketing plan.

Mr. Poe is right on at least one front...gay parades are a bunch of flaming pansies and they drive me insane.

Good day.

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball | June 6, 2008 3:02 PM
36

OK, but only if the Seattle Storm hold a Straight Night.

Posted by suburbanlegend | June 6, 2008 3:56 PM
37

I was there that night too with my brother and my nephew. We were there with my nephew's school. Now that you mention it, I guess I do remember that flashing across the screen. But it being Seattle, I didn't think twice about it and just figured, hey it's a liberal city.

So the whole lesbian kiss thing confuses me too. I think the M's should have a gay night too if there is interest in the community.

I personally think that the more everyone sees that gays and lesbians enjoy many (if not most) of the same cultural events as everyone else, the better off we are.

I'm a white, middle aged, hetero-sexual man. But while that may be the place where I begin, it doesn't define the end of who am by a long shot.

I always find it useful to remind myself that this is true of every other person too.

It'll be a great day when this truth is universally accepted for all of us, no matter what our gender, age, race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

Posted by j-lon | June 6, 2008 6:19 PM

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