Boston Red Sox's Fenway Park to Host Gay Pride Night; Prelude to Gay Pride Parade

By Melissa Barnhart, Managing Editor Thursday, June 06, 2013

A controversial spin will mark Thursday's Boston Red Sox game against the Texas Rangers with the addition of Pride Night at Fenway Park that will include the celebration of Pride Week and the first pitch being thrown out by openly gay NBA player Jason Collins, who will also be marching in Boston's Gay Pride Parade.

Zineb Curran, the director of corporate communications for the Boston Red Sox, told The Christian Post the organization "extended the invitation to Jason Collins to throw out the ceremonial first pitch to celebrate his courage." She also noted that several groups will be at the game, among them being Boston Pride, an LGBT organization that promotes Gay Pride Week and other events.

This event is a first for Fenway Park, and according to Brian Camenker, president of the pro-family organization MassResistance, public sporting events, especially baseball which he said is traditionally a family event, should be void of LGBT propaganda.

"It's very inappropriate for a sports team that attracts kids to get involved in this movement," Camenker said. "For a professional sports team to promote behavior that's destructive, both socially and medically, is problematic. A baseball game should be one place where people can go to get away from the anti-family agenda." And he predicts there will be a backlash from the public and fans after tonight's game.

Camenker believes that Pride Night is being promoted at Fenway Park because the team's owners are liberal and are driving the agenda. Thus far, he said MassResistance has received a lot of support and feedback in opposition to Pride Night at Fenway Park. Curran, on the other hand, told CP that she's unsure of fans' response to the Red Sox organization hosting the event.

Sylvain Bruni of Boston Pride said that viewers watching the game at home and fans who are at the ballpark will be able to see that Pride Week is being recognized by the Boston Red Sox organization with the acknowledgement of Boston Pride on the jumbotron, and with Collins throwing out the first pitch.

The Boston Pride website also states that the Boston Red Sox will donate a percentage of their proceeds to benefit the LGBT nonprofit organization.

Camenker said his organization is asking the public to call the Boston Red Sox office to let them know they don't support the organization's decision to celebrate Gay Pride Week. Which he said includes "obscene events, such as Friday's Boston Dyke March that takes place at a location heavily populated by tourists, who are exposed to vulgar signs" carried by LGBT activists at the parade, which takes places from 7 to 8 p.m., a time when parents are out with their children.