Pride Night

MLB teams often dedicate certain regular season games for specific groups or for specific causes, often as a way to attract members of these communities to their games.{{Cite book |last=Jozsa |first=Frank P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hI4rDQAAQBAJ |title=Major League Baseball Organizations: Team Performances and Financial Consequences |publisher=Lexington Books |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-4985-4279-1 |location=Lanham, Maryland |pages=145–146 |oclc=959373274}} For instance, in 2015, the Philadelphia Phillies hosted numerous regular season events at their home venue, Citizens Bank Park, such as Jackie Robinson Salute in April, First Responders Night in May, and Grandparents Day in September. Pride Night events, which recognize the LGBTQ community, are typically held in June, which is Pride Month.{{Cite web |last=Schultz |first=Ken |date=May 29, 2024 |title=Your 2024 guide to all 29 MLB LGBTQ Pride Nights |url=https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/29/24094578/mlb-pride-night-guide-2024-rainbow-jersey-baseball-fanny-pack-banner/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240920063738/https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/29/24094578/mlb-pride-night-guide-2024-rainbow-jersey-baseball-fanny-pack-banner/ |archive-date=September 20, 2024 |access-date=March 24, 2025 |website=Outsports}} In 2021, the Los Angeles Dodgers' Pride Night was one of the first Pride events to take place in the city that year.{{Cite news |last=Knight |first=Molly |date=June 11, 2021 |title=Dodgers exec Erik Braverman on Pride Nights and the importance of clubs staying involved with LGBTQ+ communities year-round |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2644105/2021/06/11/dodgers-exec-erik-braverman-on-pride-nights-and-the-importance-of-clubs-staying-involved-with-lgbtq-communities-year-round/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250320194234/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2644105/2021/06/11/dodgers-exec-erik-braverman-on-pride-nights-and-the-importance-of-clubs-staying-involved-with-lgbtq-communities-year-round/ |archive-date=March 20, 2025 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=The New York Times |department=The Athletic |issn=1553-8095 |oclc=1645522}} Pride Night games typically see a higher turnout of LGBTQ fans than normal, with Dodgers executive Erik Braverman estimating that up to half of the audience for their 2021 event being members of the LGBTQ community. During the events, LGBTQ-themed team merchandise is usually sold or given away, while LGBTQ symbols, such as pride flags and rainbow colors, are prominently displayed in the venue.{{Cite web |date=June 15, 2023 |title=AP Photos: MLB teams celebrate LGBTQ+ community with ballpark Pride Nights |url=https://apnews.com/article/mlb-pride-nights-photos-8b5051534091de97d5369a448c3aed12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231008041831/https://apnews.com/article/mlb-pride-nights-photos-8b5051534091de97d5369a448c3aed12 |archive-date=October 8, 2023 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |website=Associated Press}}

In 1994, the San Francisco Giants hosted "Until There's a Cure Day" at their stadium to raise money and awareness for the ongoing AIDS epidemic, which Cronkite News stated in 2023 was "one of the first known LGBTQ-supportive nights" in North American sports.{{Cite web |last=Hadley |first=Taylyn |date=July 19, 2023 |title=Division surrounds Pride Night in sports among athletes, leagues, LGBTQ community |url=https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2023/07/19/divison-surrounds-pride-night-sports-lgbtq/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240915144224/https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2023/07/19/divison-surrounds-pride-night-sports-lgbtq/ |archive-date=September 15, 2024 |access-date=March 26, 2025 |website=Cronkite News}} However, the first Pride Night occurred in 2000. On August 8 of that year, a lesbian couple, Danielle Goldey and Meredith Kott, were removed by security guards from a Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium for kissing.{{Cite book |last1=Dreier |first1=Peter |author-link1=Peter Dreier |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ZRfEAAAQBAJ |title=Baseball Rebels: The Players, People, and Social Movements That Shook Up the Game and Changed America |last2=Elias |first2=Robert |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |others=Foreword by Dave Zirin |year=2022 |isbn=978-1-4962-3177-2 |location=Lincoln, Nebraska |pages=279–280 |oclc=1298165561}} Following their ejection, the couple reached out to a lawyer with the intent to sue the team. However, before any legal actions were taken, the Dodgers reached out to the couple and both apologized and offered to give them seats behind home plate for a future game. Speaking of the incident, team president Bob Graziano said, "I was troubled ... because of what it implied about the Dodger organization".{{Cite web |last=Zeigler |first=Cyd |author-link=Cyd Zeigler |date=July 18, 2011 |title=Moment #84: Lesbian couple ejected from Dodgers Stadium for kissing creates 'gay days' |url=https://www.outsports.com/2011/7/18/4051562/moment-84-lesbian-couple-ejected-from-dodgers-stadium-for-kissing/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250226164125/http://www.outsports.com/2011/7/18/4051562/moment-84-lesbian-couple-ejected-from-dodgers-stadium-for-kissing |archive-date=February 26, 2025 |access-date=March 24, 2025 |website=Outsports}} Additionally, the team donated 5,000 tickets to gay rights groups. The following month, on September 6, GLAAD and the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center hosted a "Gay and Lesbian Night at Dodger Stadium". According to sports commentator Cyd Zeigler, the event is widely considered the first "gay night" at a professional baseball game. However, this event was a one-off occurrence, and at the time, there were no future LGBTQ events planned at Dodger Stadium.{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=A. J. |date=June 24, 2021 |title=Beyond The Rainbow: The Evolution of Pride Games |url=https://frontofficesports.com/beyond-the-rainbow-the-evolution-of-pride-games/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250126125853/https://frontofficesports.com/beyond-the-rainbow-the-evolution-of-pride-games/ |archive-date=January 26, 2025 |access-date=March 24, 2025 |website=Front Office Sports}} During the 2001 season, the Chicago Cubs sponsored "Gay Days" at Wrigley Field. The event, later renamed "Out at Wrigley", was started by Bill Gubrud, a gay man from Chicago, and has been an annual occurrence ever since.{{Cite web |last=Buzinski |first=Jim |date=October 25, 2016 |title=Cubs have had most MLB gay days, the Indians have had one |url=https://www.outsports.com/2016/10/25/13401334/world-series-chicago-cubs-cleveland-indians-gay/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725123542/https://www.outsports.com/2016/10/25/13401334/world-series-chicago-cubs-cleveland-indians-gay/ |archive-date=July 25, 2024 |access-date=March 24, 2025 |website=Outsports |publisher=Vox Media}}

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In 2013, the Dodgers hosted their second Pride event. Over the mid-2010s, the league as a whole attempted to foster a better relationship with the LGBTQ community. In 2014, the league hired Billy Bean, a former baseball player and gay activist, to educate current players and team officials on matters related to LGBTQ issues, such as defamatory language. That same year, MLB issued a letter opposing Arizona SB 1062, arguing that it went against the league's "zero-tolerance policy for harassment or discrimination based on sexual orientation". That same year, the Cleveland Indians hosted a Pride Night to coincide with the 2014 Gay Games that were being hosted in the city. In 2016, the league partnered with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in an effort to help LGBTQ-owned businesses seek out MLB contracts. That same year, the Tampa Bay Rays used their Pride Night to raise roughly $300,000 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|index=US|value=300,000|start_year=2016|r=-3|fmt=c}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US}}) for a fund to help victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting, which had occurred shortly before the event.{{Cite news |last=Kepner |first=Tyler |author-link=Tyler Kepner |date=June 6, 2022 |title=An Attempt at Inclusion Proves There Is More Work to Do |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/06/sports/baseball/rays-pride-night.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250312023906/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/06/sports/baseball/rays-pride-night.html |archive-date=March 12, 2025 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=The New York Times |issn=1553-8095 |oclc=1645522}} In 2019, the New York Yankees honored the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall riots by unveiling a plaque at Yankee Stadium. In 2021, the Oakland Athletics renamed their annual Pride Night event in honor of former baseball player and gay activist Glenn Burke, who was honored the following year at the Dodgers' Pride Night.{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Scott |date=June 3, 2022 |orig-date=June 2, 2022 |title=The Dodgers Embrace the Family of a Player They Once Shunned |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/02/sports/baseball/glenn-burke-dodgers-pride.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207021809/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/02/sports/baseball/glenn-burke-dodgers-pride.html |archive-date=December 7, 2024 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=The New York Times |issn=1553-8095 |oclc=1645522}} In 2023, former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi threw out the ceremonial first pitch during the Washington Nationals' Pride Night, which they call "Night Out".{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=Patrick |date=June 6, 2023 |title=Former Speaker Pelosi throws out first pitch at Nationals' Pride night |url=https://apnews.com/article/nationals-pelosi-2c2f7cde6037b78a1a6650eb9f97e882 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230715205800/https://apnews.com/article/nationals-pelosi-2c2f7cde6037b78a1a6650eb9f97e882 |archive-date=July 15, 2023 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |website=Associated Press}} That same year, the Associated Press called MLB "a leader among the four major pro U.S. sports in hosting Pride Nights, in part because its regular season overlaps with Pride Month in June".

In a 2023 article on MLB Pride Nights, the Associated Press noted that the celebrations had become a source of controversy in recent years, with some individuals criticizing LGBTQ inclusivity on religious grounds.

During Pride Night events in 2022, three teams—the Dodgers, the Giants, and the Rays—incorporated rainbow-colored logo patches into their uniform. However, multiple players for the Rays stated that they would not be wearing the patch, with relief pitcher Jason Adam calling it a "faith-based decision" on his part.{{Cite web |date=June 5, 2022 |title=Cash: Rays players not wearing LGBTQ logos won't divide team |url=https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-jason-adam-tampa-bay-rays-baseball-447d8bbd61a029dcab90478f26ef54bb |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114155159/https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-jason-adam-tampa-bay-rays-baseball-447d8bbd61a029dcab90478f26ef54bb |archive-date=January 14, 2025 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |website=Associated Press}} Writing about the decision, sports journalist Tyler Kepner stated that "by allowing the players to opt out of the promotion — and to use the platform to endorse an opposite viewpoint — the Rays undercut the message of inclusion they were trying to send".

In June 2023, Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred announced that MLB had advised teams against adding rainbow motifs to their logo patches so as not to put players "in a position of doing something that may make them uncomfortable because of their personal views".{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Jay |date=June 15, 2023 |title=MLB teams welcome LGBTQ+ fans with Pride Nights but not one has seen an active player come out |url=https://apnews.com/article/mlb-lgbtq-pride-dodgers-de4b290bec6aa651e8a3c5fca23b19d7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240625031041/https://apnews.com/article/mlb-lgbtq-pride-dodgers-de4b290bec6aa651e8a3c5fca23b19d7 |archive-date=June 25, 2024 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |website=Associated Press}}

In 2023, the Dodgers announced plans to honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence with a Community Hero Award at their Pride Night, to be held on June 16.{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Scott |date=May 18, 2023 |title=Dodgers Face Backlash After Rescinding Pride Night Invitation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/18/sports/baseball/dodgers-pride-night.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250214093622/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/18/sports/baseball/dodgers-pride-night.html |archive-date=February 14, 2025 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=The New York Times |issn=1553-8095 |oclc=1645522}} The Sisters are a San Francisco-based charity and protest group that employ religious symbolism and humor to call attention to intolerance towards LGBTQ people. However, in mid-May, the Dodgers announced that they would not be honoring the group at their Pride Night, effectively disinviting the group.{{Cite news |date=June 20, 2023 |orig-date=June 2, 2023 |title=How did Dodgers Pride Night become national news? A timeline of events |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4573684/2023/06/02/dodgers-pride-night-timeline/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250320192314/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4573684/2023/06/02/dodgers-pride-night-timeline/ |archive-date=March 20, 2025 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=The New York Times |department=The Athletic |issn=1553-8095 |oclc=1645522}} The decision came after the team received significant backlash from several Catholic groups, including the Catholic League, and a letter from Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who asked if the Sisters would be "inclusive and welcoming to Christians".{{Cite news |date=June 20, 2023 |orig-date=May 19, 2023 |title=Dodgers rescind Pride Night invite from San Francisco performance group due to 'controversy' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4534626/2023/05/19/la-dodgers-pride-event-controversy-sf-drag/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250320194054/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4534626/2023/05/19/la-dodgers-pride-event-controversy-sf-drag/ |archive-date=March 20, 2025 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=The New York Times |issn=1553-8095 |oclc=1645522}} Following this, several LGBTQ advocacy groups expressed disappointment with the team's disinvitation, with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and Los Angeles Pride both stating that they would not be participating in the Dodgers' Pride Night, in solidarity with the Sisters. Additionally, the Los Angeles LGBT Center issued a statement saying, "Buckling to pressure from out-of-state, right-wing fundamentalists, the Dodgers caved to a religious minority that is perpetuating a false narrative about L.G.B.T.Q.+ people. They have been fed lies about the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and have therefore contributed to the ongoing, anti-L.G.B.T.Q. smear campaign happening in this country." In a show of support for the Sisters, Mayor Ashleigh Aitken of Anaheim extended an invitation for them to attend the Pride Night hosted by the Anaheim-based Los Angeles Angels.{{Cite web |date=May 22, 2023 |title=Los Angeles Dodgers reinstate gay 'nun' group for Pride Night award |url=https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-dodgers-pride-night-lgbt-sisters-of-perpetual-indulgence-67ac5dd13bc8b929f57c0185b0713e0f |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211210829/https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-dodgers-pride-night-lgbt-sisters-of-perpetual-indulgence-67ac5dd13bc8b929f57c0185b0713e0f |archive-date=December 11, 2024 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |website=Associated Press}}

Following the backlash, on May 22, the Dodgers reversed their decision and reinvited the Sisters to attend their Pride Night and receive the Community Hero Award.{{Cite news |last=Hoffman |first=Benjamin |date=May 22, 2023 |title=Groups Return to Pride Night After Dodgers Reverse Course |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/22/sports/baseball/dodgers-pride-night.html |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250216083210/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/22/sports/baseball/dodgers-pride-night.html |archive-date=February 16, 2025 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=The New York Times |issn=1553-8095 |oclc=1645522}} The team stated that their decision came after "much thoughtful feedback" and pledged to continue to work with "LGBTQ+ partners to better educate ourselves, find ways to strengthen the ties that bind and use our platform to support all of our fans who make up the diversity of the Dodgers family." Dodgers player Clayton Kershaw criticized the re-invitation, stating that, while he was not opposed to the LGBTQ community, he viewed the Sisters' satirical take on religion as offensive to Christians.{{Cite web |date=May 30, 2023 |title=Kershaw disagrees with Dodgers' decision to reinstate gay 'nun' group for Pride Night award |url=https://apnews.com/article/dodgers-kershaw-pride-night-lgbtq-sisters-of-perpetual-indulgence-e6570a325936718b23396eb38b2a2da8 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309091108/https://apnews.com/article/dodgers-kershaw-pride-night-lgbtq-sisters-of-perpetual-indulgence-e6570a325936718b23396eb38b2a2da8 |archive-date=March 9, 2024 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |website=Associated Press}}{{Cite news |date=June 20, 2023 |orig-date=May 30, 2023 |title=Kershaw says disagreement over 'Sisters' inclusion in Pride night fueled Faith night announcement |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4564738/2023/05/30/dodgers-clayton-kershaw-pride-night/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250320193848/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4564738/2023/05/30/dodgers-clayton-kershaw-pride-night/ |archive-date=March 20, 2025 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=The New York Times |department=The Athletic |issn=1553-8095 |oclc=1645522}}{{Cite news |last1=Ardaya |first1=Fabian |last2=Baggarly |first2=Andrew |author-link2=Andrew Baggarly |date=June 20, 2023 |orig-date=June 16, 2023 |title=Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expresses support for team Pride Night: 'I love everyone' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4618062/2023/06/16/dodgers-manager-dave-roberts-pride-night/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211182213/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4618062/2023/06/16/dodgers-manager-dave-roberts-pride-night/ |archive-date=December 11, 2024 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=The New York Times |department=The Athletic |issn=1553-8095 |oclc=1645522}} Additionally, three American Catholic bishops—Timothy Broglio, Timothy M. Dolan, and José Horacio Gómez—derided the Dodgers' decision as blasphemous.{{Cite web |last=Crary |first=David |date=June 15, 2023 |title=A nun commends Dodgers' handling of Pride Night controversy. Some archbishops call it blasphemy |url=https://apnews.com/article/baseball-religion-pride-night-catholic-nuns-lgbtq-a567e20bb5dc7efe3bd19af412740839 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124075856/https://apnews.com/article/baseball-religion-pride-night-catholic-nuns-lgbtq-a567e20bb5dc7efe3bd19af412740839 |archive-date=November 24, 2023 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |website=Associated Press}}

By 2022, every team in MLB had conducted at least one Pride Night, with the exception of the Texas Rangers. This would remain the case over the next several years, as in 2024, they were the lone team out of the 30 MLB franchises that season to not hold a Pride Night. The closest that the team has come to hosting a Pride Night, according to the Associated Press, was in September 2003, when the team invited several local LGBTQ groups to their venue for a fundraising event prior to a game.{{Cite web |date=June 23, 2023 |title=Why are the Texas Rangers the only MLB team without a Pride Night? |url=https://apnews.com/article/rangers-pride-mlb-lgbtq-e3caa6ad3011bfae841b4fe9b4ce6c30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250112015656/https://apnews.com/article/rangers-pride-mlb-lgbtq-e3caa6ad3011bfae841b4fe9b4ce6c30 |archive-date=January 12, 2025 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |website=Associated Press}} According to the Associated Press, one reason for this could be the conservative political climate within the state of Texas, which in 2023 enacted a series of legislation targeting the LGBTQ community.{{Cite web |date=June 24, 2024 |title=Why are the Texas Rangers the only MLB team without a Pride Night? |url=https://apnews.com/article/rangers-pride-mlb-lgbtq-56ce863b94a0d3fde951f9dec14b84b4 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240720232138/https://apnews.com/article/rangers-pride-mlb-lgbtq-56ce863b94a0d3fde951f9dec14b84b4 |archive-date=July 20, 2024 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |website=Associated Press}} The news agency also pointed out that Ray Davis, the team's owner, has previously donated large sums of money in support of Greg Abbott, the state's conservative governor. Additionally, the Associated Press noted that the location of the Rangers' stadium may play a role in their decision to not host a Pride Night. While the Houston Astros, the state's only other MLB team, does host Pride Nights, their stadium is located in Houston, a populous city that largely votes for Democratic elected officials. By comparison, the Rangers play in Arlington, outside of the city limits of Dallas, in an area of the state that is generally more conservative than Dallas.{{Cite web |last=Dixon |first=Schuyler |date=June 24, 2024 |title=The Texas Rangers are frustrating LGBTQ+ advocates as the only MLB team without a Pride Night |url=https://apnews.com/article/rangers-pride-mlb-lgbtq-4671a9124b12cf2b67f1bfbf405af99b |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240628173900/https://apnews.com/article/rangers-pride-mlb-lgbtq-4671a9124b12cf2b67f1bfbf405af99b |archive-date=June 28, 2024 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |website=Associated Press}} In a 2023 article in The New York Times, it was reported that the Resource Center, a local LGBTQ group, had been trying for five years at that point to host a Pride Night at the Rangers' stadium.{{Cite news |last=Ghiroli |first=Brittany |date=June 19, 2023 |title=The Texas Rangers are MLB's only team without a Pride Night. That's unlikely to change |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4621032/2023/06/19/texas-rangers-pride-night/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250116152615/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4621032/2023/06/19/texas-rangers-pride-night/ |archive-date=January 16, 2025 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=The New York Times |department=The Athletic |issn=1553-8095 |oclc=1645522}}

In February 2007, the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) hosted a benefit game for Rainbow Hoops, a lesbian basketball league.{{Cite book |last1=Auger |first1=Jeanette A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2wF0EAAAQBAJ |title=Under the Rainbow: A Primer on Queer Issues in Canada |last2=Krug |first2=Kate |publisher=Fernwood Publishing |others=Contributions from Dayna B. Daniels, Judy Davidson, Valda Leighteizer, and Ross Higgins |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-55266-585-5 |location=Black Point, Halifax |page=179 |oclc=848150140}} However, the league's first Pride Nights occurred in 2016, with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Portland Trail Blazers hosting events during the 2016–17 season. That same year, the NBA participated for the first time in the NYC Pride March. Starting in 2017, the league began to sell t-shirts with rainbow-colored versions of their team's logos.{{Cite web |last=Reimer |first=Alex |date=June 7, 2021 |title=Here is how every sports league is celebrating Pride |url=https://www.outsports.com/2021/6/7/22521330/pride-month-gay-nfl-mlb-nba-nhl-wnba-mls-nwsl-nwhl/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240714205727/https://www.outsports.com/2021/6/7/22521330/pride-month-gay-nfl-mlb-nba-nhl-wnba-mls-nwsl-nwhl/ |archive-date=July 14, 2024 |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=Outsports}} In April 2021, the Phoenix Suns hosted a Pride Night that was the first in-person Pride Night to be held by any sports team following the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a 2025 report by Outsports, of the 30 NBA teams, 25 were definitely hosting a Pride Night, 4 were possibly hosting a Pride Night, and only one—the Oklahoma City Thunder—had expressly stated that they would not hold such an event.{{Cite web |last=Zeigler |first=Cyd |author-link=Cyd Zeigler |date=January 16, 2025 |title=83% of NBA teams are hosting a Pride Night, despite 'woke' attacks. 1 NBA team is not. The other 4? Hmmm… |url=https://www.outsports.com/2025/1/16/24105350/nba-pride-night-lgbtq-gay-fans-woke/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250122045101/https://www.outsports.com/2025/1/16/24105350/nba-pride-night-lgbtq-gay-fans-woke/ |archive-date=January 22, 2025 |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=Outsports}}

Pride Nights among National Football League (NFL) teams are rare, primarily due to the fact that the NFL season does not coincide with Pride Month.{{Cite web |last=du Plessis |first=Lindsay |date=June 3, 2022 |title=ESPN's guide to Pride Nights in the major pro sports leagues |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/34030356/espn-guide-pride-nights-major-professional-sports-leagues |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240311095713/https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/34030356/espn-guide-pride-nights-major-professional-sports-leagues |archive-date=March 11, 2024 |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=ESPN.com}} On September 16, 2021, during a Thursday Night Football game, the Washington Football Team became the first NFL team to host a Pride Night event when they hosted the New York Giants.{{Cite web |last=Zeigler |first=Cyd |author-link=Cyd Zeigler |date=September 14, 2021 |title=Washington Football will be 1st NFL team to host official Pride Night at a game, this Thursday |url=https://www.outsports.com/2021/9/14/22669464/washington-football-team-tnf-nfl-gay-lgbtq-pride-night-team-dc-thursday-night/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250224055721/https://www.outsports.com/2021/9/14/22669464/washington-football-team-tnf-nfl-gay-lgbtq-pride-night-team-dc-thursday-night/ |archive-date=February 24, 2025 |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=Outsports}} Since 2021, the NFL has collaborated with GLAAD to host a "Night of Pride" celebration during the week of the Super Bowl as part of an outreach program aimed at the LGBTQ community.{{Cite web |last=Webb |first=Karleigh |date=February 5, 2025 |title=GLAAD, NFL 'Night of Pride' taking place at Super Bowl LIX |url=https://www.outsports.com/2025/2/5/24107056/nfl-super-bowl-lix-glaad-pride-inclusion/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250214060844/https://www.outsports.com/2025/2/5/24107056/nfl-super-bowl-lix-glaad-pride-inclusion/ |archive-date=February 14, 2025 |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=Outsports}}{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Sophie |date=January 25, 2024 |title=NFL to host Pride night during Super Bowl week - and bigots are raging |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/25/nfl-pride-super-bowl-lgbtq-reaction/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213171040/https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/25/nfl-pride-super-bowl-lgbtq-reaction/ |archive-date=December 13, 2024 |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=PinkNews}}{{Cite web |last=Condon |first=Ali |date=February 10, 2024 |title=NFL team up with GLAAD for 'A Night of Pride' celebration |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/10/nfl-glaad-night-of-pride/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211143051/https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/10/nfl-glaad-night-of-pride/ |archive-date=December 11, 2024 |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=PinkNews}} Night of Pride events have been ongoing through 2025.

File:Jordan Spence 2.jpg of the Los Angeles Kings wearing a rainbow-themed jersey during a Pride Night game on March 22, 2022]]

The first Pride Night in the National Hockey League (NHL) was held on March 30, 2011, when the San Jose Sharks hosted the Dallas Stars.{{Cite news |last=Mendes |first=Ian |author-link=Ian Mendes |date=November 17, 2023 |orig-date=October 30, 2023 |title=After a tumultuous year, behind the scenes of the NHL's first Pride night of the season |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5006275/2023/10/30/nhl-pride-night-arizona-coyotes/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250307203707/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5006275/2023/10/30/nhl-pride-night-arizona-coyotes/ |archive-date=March 7, 2025 |access-date=March 26, 2025 |work=The New York Times |department=The Athletic |issn=1553-8095 |oclc=1645522}} In 2013, the NHL partnered with You Can Play to address the issue of homophobia in ice hockey. In February 2017, the Sharks used rainbow tape for their ice hockey sticks during a game against the Buffalo Sabres. By the 2017–18 season, all 31 NHL teams were hosting a Pride Night, with players often using rainbow-colored tape on their ice hockey sticks.{{Cite book |last1=McKenzie |first1=Bob |author-link1=Bob McKenzie (broadcaster) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WlRFEAAAQBAJ |title=Everyday Hockey Heroes |last2=Lang |first2=Jim |author-link2=Jim Lang (broadcaster) |publisher=Simon & Schuster Canada |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-9821-3272-9 |volume=II: More Inspiring Stories About Our Great Game |location=Toronto |page=285 |oclc=1236259430}} The next season, several players on the Vancouver Canucks wore rainbow-themed jerseys during their Pride Night game on March 13, 2019. By the 2022–23 season, roughly half of all NHL teams had players wear rainbow-themed jerseys during warmups on Pride Nights. However, players on several teams expressed opposition to the jerseys, often on religious grounds or, in the case of Russian players, safety concerns stemming from anti-LGBTQ laws in Russia.{{Cite web |last=Bengel |first=Chris |date=March 27, 2023 |title=NHL's Pride Night problems: A timeline of why some teams, players have scrapped plans to wear Pride jerseys |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/nhls-pride-night-problems-a-timeline-of-why-some-teams-players-have-scrapped-plans-to-wear-pride-jerseys/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250227042804/https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/nhls-pride-night-problems-a-timeline-of-why-some-teams-players-have-scrapped-plans-to-wear-pride-jerseys/ |archive-date=February 27, 2025 |access-date=March 26, 2025 |website=CBSSports.com}} As a result, in mid-2023, the NHL promulgated rules barring teams from donning rainbow-themed jerseys or using rainbow-colored tape.

{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2025}}

File:Pride corner flag.jpg during a Pride Night]]

While teams in Major League Soccer do celebrate individual Pride Nights, the league has opted to designate June as Pride Month since 2016 as part of its "Soccer For All" initiative. The first Pride Night was hosted in 2013 by the LA Galaxy, several months after defender Robbie Rogers openly came out as gay.

• Athlete activism in the United States
• Homosexuality in modern sports
• Pride (LGBTQ culture)

{{Reflist}}

{{LGBTQ}}

{{Major League Baseball}}

{{National Basketball Association}}

{{National Hockey League}}

Category:21st century in American sports

Category:Athlete activism in the United States

Category:Civil rights in the United States

Category:Identity politics

Category:LGBTQ history in the United States

Category:LGBTQ pride

Category:Sports culture in the United States