The Gwinnett Stripers will hold its first-ever Pride Night in June to celebrate the LGBTQ community, the team announced Tuesday.
The annual Atlanta Pride is held in October, but many other Pride celebrations across the country take place in the summer months. Pride is a celebration of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) experience and community.
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The Stripers’ Pride Night will be held on June 7, complete with live pre-game music and a rainbow flag flying in center field for the duration of the game. Stripers players will have rainbow tape on their bats and wrists, and Stripers staff will display their preferred pronouns on their nametags. Pronoun usage is particularly important for transgender people and people who do not identify specifically as male or female.
The themed night is part of Minor League Baseball’s Pride initiative, which is being implemented with teams across the country.
“We feel strongly that we do everything we can to ensure that Coolray Field is a welcoming environment for all people,” said Stripers Vice President and General Manager Adam English in a team release. “We want fans from the LGBTQ community to know that Stripers baseball is for everyone, and that Coolray Field will always be a safe and respectful place for anyone to enjoy a game.”
The first pitch will be thrown by a representative of Positive Impact Health Center, which treats people for HIV and offers mental health care services including risk reduction and substance abuse counseling. There will also be a 50/50 raffle held to benefit Positive Impact Health Center. The night will be capped with a fireworks display.
Fan can buy a “Pride Pack” of tickets for $35, which includes one infield box ticket and a “Rainbow Stripers” baseball cap. Tickets can be purchased at GoStripers.com or at the Coolray Field box office, located at 2500 Buford Drive in Lawrenceville.
The game against the Durham Bulls begins at 7:05 p.m. on June 7.
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