Braves Defend Providing Gay Games Its Night

Braves Defend Providing Gay Games Its Night

The Atlanta Braves' pregame occasion to support the city's bid for the 2006 Gay Games went off without incident Wednesday night, according to the Associated Press.

The Atlanta Braves' pregame occasion to sustain the city's proposal for the 2006 Gay Gamings went off without event Wednesday evening, according to the Associated Press.

The group sold a block of 1,700 tickets to Atlanta Gamings Inc., which was courting authorities from the Federation of Gay Gamings on a site browse through to the city. The team had additionally added its public support to the Atlanta bid. The publicity over the relocation attracted numerous problems to the group, but there were no objections Wednesday throughout the Braves-Astros game.

\" We believe it's the right thing to do as well as a smart company choice,\" Braves spokesperson Jim Schultz told AP. As part of the plan, Atlanta Games was given a pregame event, had a participant throw out the initial pitch as well as had the National Anthem sung by participants of the Atlanta Gay Males's Carolers.

\" Thousands of gay individuals mosted likely to the Braves game last night. Some even carried out the national anthem, as well as one more threw away the very first pitch.

\" Turner Field did not collapse into a huge sink-hole, the turf in facility area is just as eco-friendly-- as well as the sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom buck.\"

The therapy accorded the Gay Games team was foregone conclusion as far as the Braves were worried. Any kind of team that purchases a block of at least 300 tickets is entitled to the very same treatment.

' This is not gay night at the Braves,' Shultz told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. \"Somebody contacted with, 'Why don't they have a White Male Day?' Well, if a team of them got together and also bought tickets, we 'd allow them have a night at the Braves, too. (Just Recently) it was the Lutheran League. That doesn't mean we prefer Lutherans over anybody else.\"

The Braves have actually continued to be tenacious regardless of an approximated 500 to 600 problems from followers that accused the team of supporting the \"gay lifestyle.\"

\" We're talking a small number compared to (discuss) the John Rocker scenario,\" Schultz told the Journal-Constitution.

Group president Stan Kasten took any type of criticism in stride. \"We obtain letters from individuals with strong feelings on lots of problems over the course of a period,\" Kasten informed the paper. \"This is just one more concern. ... I don't wish to identify it as anything above it is.\"

On online poll by the Journal-Constitution located respondents divided on whether honoring the Gay Gamings quote was a good suggestion. The virulently anti-gay American Family members Association issued an alert after hearing of the event. As well as letter authors filled the AJC's online mailbag with their arguments, pro and con.

\" I have actually had my viewpoint of the Atlanta Braves and also the City of Atlanta forever altered by this tale of the Braves wanting to host the homosexual video games.\" an Ohio man wrote. \"( No, not 'gay' video games, there is absolutely nothing gay about the slovenly, revolting, deadly selection of homosexuality). Hosting this disgrace is tantamount to encouraging this perversion.\"

That brought this action from an Atlanta homeowner: \"The requirement to recognize gays as a different entity is produced by those most singing versus it ... by virtue of exclusion, judgment, hatred, and also ages-old misconceptions and also prejudices. I would think of that gays in Atlanta (anywhere?) would delight in being just among the group, comfy in knowing that their plain existence is not mosting likely to trigger disgust and also vitriol. They would certainly like to be unseen because of approval. Indeed, I would certainly bet that all the attention-getting activities, parades and also political unsupported claims would vaporize if gay members of our community were paid for the straightforward legal civil liberties of safety and security, reasonable work techniques, and human regard from others that is part and parcel of our straight life. As well as we wonder why every other significant metropolitan center in the country ... the globe ... sights Atlanta as a joke. We are a joke ... and also the joke gets on us!\"

The Braves are not the only major league team to market blocks of tickets to gay teams. The Chicago Cubs \"Out at the Ballgame\" promotion on June 23 was a large success. The Minnesota Twins, along with OutFront Minnesota and also the Civil Rights Campaign, have a gay pride occasion established for a game Sept. 14.

Atlanta government and lots of businesses have supported the bid for the 2006 Gay Games. The Georgia city, which held the 1996 Summer Olympics, is a finalist together with Chicago, Los Angeles as well as Montreal.

The Journal-Constitution, a prominent voice in the city, timed a content to coincide with the Federation go to:

\" What kind of showing off occasion might bring Atlanta $350 million in economic influence, a million visitors, 20,000 athletes as well as 3,000 participants in social programs? \"Another Olympics? A Super Dish? The Globe Collection? \"No. The 2006 Gay Gamings. \"... Atlanta, experienced from its discussion of the 1996 Olympics, has much to offer. Not the least of its tourist attractions is its growing reputation as a gay capital.\"

A choice on the winning proposal will be made by the Federation at its October meeting in South Africa.