The Chris Moeller Archives

Cubs win! Cubs win!

The locker rooms of professional sports teams are not traditionally considered to be hotbeds of tolerance in respect to sexual orientation, but the times they do change, sometimes just when you think they never will. Dan Savage's "It Gets Better" Project, which enlists well-known figures to offer their public support for tolerance and an end to anti-LGBT bullying and harassment, has made its way into these locker rooms, as well as the board rooms, of the NBA, NFL, NHL, and Major League Baseball. Most recently, and most unfortunately, the campaign received headlines when the Denver Broncos of the NFL, the team that sports Focus on the Family spokesman Tim Tebow as their quarterback, and a team that hasn't been bullying anybody on the field the last three weeks, denied a request petition from 8,000 of their fans urging them to participate in the video movement.

This summer, the Chicago Cubs agreed to produce a public service announcement, with Marlon Byrd, Ryan Dempster, Darwin Barney, Mike Quade, and Bob Dernier all participating on camera. Additionally, Mr. Cub himself, Hall-of-Famer Ernie Banks, appeared this summer on a Chicago Cubs team float at the city's Gay Pride Parade. Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts is the first openly LGBT owner of a professional sports team in the U.S., and the team hosts an annual Pride Day now at Wrigley Field.

The Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, and Seattle Mariners have all recorded similar spots. (The Phillies, especially, bust out the big names, and the Mariners edition even features former Cardinal Brendan Ryan sporting an un-ironic Village People mustache.) You can find these five club spots linked from this YouTube embedment of the Cubs' PSA. Home run! Holy Cow!

Columnist Dan Savage started the "It Gets Better" campaign with his husband in 2009 in response to a rash of news reports about suicides involving, or thought to involve, LGBT teens. Now it's time for the other 24 Major League Baseball clubs to do their part as well-- and Major League Baseball as a whole. Judging by the teams that have recorded spots, and knowing what I know about each ownership group, it's clearly the front office that has to make the move. If they do, they'll find willing video participants in uniform down in their team's clubhouse. The St. Louis Cardinals especially need to involve themselves in this movement. Imagine the impact such a PSA could have on our nation's youth coming from the 2011 World Champions themselves! Let's go, fellas, you're letting the Cubs beat you!

posted by CM @ 5:48 PM