The Detroit Tigers Half Assing Its Pride Night Tells You Everything You Need To Know About The City Of Detroit
Source - Today is opening Day for the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, and that means a huge homecoming after a successful road trip in Toronto and the Bronx; a sick day for tens of thousands of workers and students (don’t worry, the Tigers tweeted an excused absence note); the usual downtown traffic mess; the end of an era for home-printed admission tickets; and new strict policies on what kinds of bags fans can bring to the park and another that bans public sex.
But what hasn’t changed for the Detroit Tigers is how the team plans to celebrate pride this season.
Last week, when Outsports published its annual report on how MLB teams will show their dedication to LGBTQ fans through events that signify their dedication to inclusivity and diversity — or not — we included the Tigers in our count of 28 teams holding a Pride Night celebration in 2019.
It turns out, that’s not exactly accurate.
Now let’s be clear: the Tigers are not in the same category as the Houston Astros or Texas Rangers, the two teams without any LGBTQ events, or even the Miami Marlins or New York Yankees who have publicly promised to do something but still haven’t announced any official dates.
The team confirmed to Outsports that their alternative is to hold “Pride Pack Day” on June 26, which is the 4-year anniversary of the Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriageand the 6-year anniversary of the decision declaring the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional in the case of Windsor v. United States.
So what’s the difference between a “Pride Night” and a “Pride Pack Day”?
What the team did for the first time in 2018 and continues to do in 2019 with its “Pride Pack”deal is list the event as one of its “special offers,” basically a promotional package. That includes a ticket to the game, a rainbow-brimmed hat — last year they offered a rainbow logo tee shirt, still available for purchase on the MLB shop site — and the team donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale to the Ruth Ellis Center. Tickets range from $27 to $43.
Sm-fucking-H.
…Detroit.”
– Michael Scott – Me
I’ve had a long-running feud with the city of Detroit, so I’m going to try to approach this in an unbiased manner. I’m going to try to forget the fact that the Detroit Metro Times called me a “seemingly confused token “LGBTQ Culture” writer. I’m not going to take into account the time that I was ruthlessly attacked in my DM’s by countless Detroit citizens over a few harmless comments I made in jest about one of Detroit’s ten-thousand abandoned buildings. Instead I’m going to write this blog based on facts. Not emotion. And the fact of the matter is that out of the thirty teams in the MLB, only one of them is framing their ‘pride night’ as part of a promotional deal: The Detroit Tigers. Is it a big deal? It depends on who you ask.
Some people say yes…
“The Tigers definitely have made strides in celebrating diversity at Comerica Park over the years,” said journalist Tony Paul, in an email to Outsports from the press box at Comerica Park on opening day…Hosting a special-ticket night, which the Tigers have done for a few years now, is a fine start. But we know they can do more — a ‘real,’ full-on Pride Night is the goal — and I would expect them to get there, hopefully sooner rather than later.”
Others are indifferent…
“The Tigers and Chambers relationship have been growing for the past 5 years,” said Kevin Heard, president of the board of directors at the (LGBT Chamber of Commerce) chamber…Themed nights are important to celebrate Americans and the beautiful diversity of this country…Ownership must make that a priority. We are excited about the pride night this year at the Tigers benefiting Ruth Ellis Center. We plan to promote it and be there.
Wherever you stand, it’s worth noting that when the MLB zigs in the name of inclusion, the Detroit Tigers zag. Some would say it’s that same kind of get-rich-quick, antiquated surface-level thinking that’s kept them in the economic shitter for the past fifty-years. Others would say it’s the collapse of the auto industry.
The point is they’re going backwards. In 2015, they hosted an LGBT Pride Night and in 2019 they’re not.
To be fair, the Tigers are donating “a portion of the proceeds” to the Ruth Ellis Center, which is a step in the right direction. But they still need to do better. Host a full-fledged Pride Night like the rest of the league, Detroit. Stop half assing it, otherwise people are going to start looking at you like a bunch of lazy you know what’s.