On Friday June 25, 2004, the Toronto Blue Jays became a bit more colourful when they hosted their first Pride Community Day. Rainbow flags were waving at the SkyDome as over 600 fans from the gay and lesbian community watched the Blue Jays defeat the Montreal Expos 3-1.

To kick off the game, an official Pride Week event, “Welcome Pride Toronto” was displayed on the Jumbotron in center field followed by a special Gay Pride video. Openly gay Canadian Olympic gold medalist Mark Tewksbury helped present a $1500.00 check to the Toronto Pride Committee on behalf of the Blue Jays, and Queer As Folk’s Sharon Gless threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Simone Denny, who sings the theme song for Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, sang “O Canada.”

According to Will Hill, the Blue Jays director of Public Relations, a special Pride weekend discount was offered for the entire 3-game series versus the Expos, with a portion of the ticket price donated back to the Toronto Pride Committee.

The community sections were located on field level along the third base line, so the community was clearly visible to the 16,484 fans in attendance at the game. Members of PFLAG (Parents & Friends of Lesbians And Gays) held up a large rainbow flag, and six clever men wore color-coordinated shirts—one for each of the rainbow colors. Gay men and women fancifully dressed as fruit (this year’s Pride theme was “Bursting with Fruit Flavour”) led the crowd in YMCA and Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the seventh inning stretch. But mostly the gay and lesbian fans looked like any other Blue Jays fans, and they cheered for the home team just the same.

The day was a “symbolic gesture,” said Paul Godfrey, president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball club. “We want the community to know that we are open and welcoming to all.” He added, “We don’t expect to hit a home run the first time, but we hope this will be a good start and that we can develop a base of support.” Mr. Godfrey said the team only received a handful of negative calls and letters prior to the event, and that he answered these personally.

The Jays join a growing list of Major League Baseball teams welcoming the gay and lesbian community. The Philadelphia Phillies are hoping to host over a thousand people at their new ballpark for their second “Gay Community Night” on August 9, 2004. The Chicago Cubs will host over 800 fans at Wrigley Field for the fourth annual “Out At the Ballgame” on August 15, 2004. And the Boston Red Sox have sold 500 tickets to a gay sports organization for the first “Out At Fenway Park” day on August 16, 2004.

The San Francisco Giants will host their 11th annual “Until There’s A Cure” Day, an event which raises money for AIDS organizations in the Bay area. Not only have gay and lesbian organizations participated in this event, but many Giants players such as Marquis Grissom, Benito Santiago, Rich Aurillia and Reggie Sanders have also participated in pre-game ceremonies.

The gay-positive attitude of some MLB teams and players may help expand the baseball fan base. For the Toronto Blue Jays, suffering from poor ticket sales over the past few years, reaching out to the community has both economic and social benefits. And it may be working. As read on a sign held up by two young women at Friday night’s game, “We’re proud to say we are gay! Root, root, root for the Jays!”

SAN FRANCISCO — In what has become a midseason tradition for the San Francisco Giants, the team through its Giants Community Fund in partnership with SBC/Nortel Networks hosted the 11th annual Until There’s a Cure Day.
The event is an effort to raise both awareness of HIV/AIDS and funds for research and treatment for the disease.

Until There’s a Cure Day has generated more than $1 million to combat HIV/AIDS. Last year, the fund-raiser brought in more than $80,000 through a raffle and sales of AIDS ribbons and T-shirts.

This year, the Giants marked Until There’s a Cure Day with pregame appearances by local community activists, team executive vice president Larry Baer and center fielder Marquis Grissom, who has been a dedicated fund-raiser for the fight against AIDS since losing his sister to the disease.

“I fervently hope that over the next 10 years this day will no longer be needed,” Baer said. “But if it is, we will be here.”

After the speeches were over, the Giants players — all with red ribbons on their uniforms — along with the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, joined the 600 community volunteers forming a human red ribbon in center field for the national anthem. Each volunteer carried a red balloon which was released into the sky as the group singing the anthem, the cast of “Beach Blanket Babylon,” hit the final notes of “and the home of the braaaaaave.”

As part of the pregame ceremonies for Sunday’s event, the Giants Community Fund presented grant checks for $10,000 each to five Bay Area organizations devoted to helping those affected by HIV/AIDS: Project Open Hand; Diablo Valley AIDS Center; Marin AIDS Project; Sunburst Projects; and New Leaf: Services for Our Community. Those five organizations provide such services as delivering healthy meals to HIV/AIDS patients, caring for children whose families are touched by the disease and providing mental health care and counseling to AIDS patients.

Tony Kuttner is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.