Photo courtesy of Flickr / Phil
The Cardinals announced today (the first day of St. Louis' PrideFest, by the way) that the team's first-ever Pride Night will take place on Friday, August 25, at a 7:15 p.m. game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Those who buy the theme ticket will get a Cardinals baseball hat with a rainbow STL logo, and a portion of each ticket sold will go to the annual PrideSTL Scholarship Fund.
“We are excited to partner with Pride St. Louis to host Pride Night at Busch Stadium,” William DeWitt III, president of the Cardinals, stated in a press release issued today. “We have hosted many LGBT groups at Busch Stadium over the years, but this is a bigger effort which will remind fans that everyone is welcome at Busch Stadium. The event will also raise money to help courageous students in our community.”
Earlier this month, plans for a Pride Night at Busch Stadium were not so solid. A team official had previously told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the team was "actively planning" its first Pride Night. At the time, the Post-Dispatch reported that the event could possibly happen this season, but if not, it would be scheduled no later than 2018.
Meanwhile, former Cardinals player and anti-LGBT speaker Lance Berkman was already set to speak at the Cardinals' 27th annual Christian Day. As noted by the pro-LGBT sports website outsports.com, Berkman has been outspoken in his stance against the LGBT community and actively campaigned against Houston's Equal Rights Ordinance. This of course raised concern among some fans, prompting the Cardinals to announce on June 12 that while Berkman will remain on the schedule for Christian Day, the team will in fact set Pride Night for 2017. The Cardinals' entire statement was originally published on KSDK.
“We are thrilled the Cardinals have decided to help empower, protect, and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community by hosting a Pride Night this season,” Marty Zuniga, Vice President of Pride St. Louis, said in today's press release. “Our supporters look forward to an incredible evening of baseball at Busch Stadium and hope this event will be a springboard for more inclusion, diversity and equality among all people around the region.”
To stay up-to-date on details about Pride Night at Busch Stadium, visit cardinals.com/pride.
