Baseball’s First Out Player, Glenn Burke, Created the High-Five, Briefly a Symbol of Gay Pri | Hor, the Queer Social Network

Contents:

• BASEBALL’S FIRST OUT PLAYER, GLENN BURKE, CREATED THE HIGH-FIVE, BRIEFLY A SYMBOL OF GAY PRI
• THE GAY HISTORY OF THE HIGH FIVE
• HIGH FIV ARE GAY
• ‘MORN FAY’ REP: GAYS DON’T HIGH-FIVE

BASEBALL’S FIRST OUT PLAYER, GLENN BURKE, CREATED THE HIGH-FIVE, BRIEFLY A SYMBOL OF GAY PRI

That would be Glenn Burke of the Los Angel Dodgers, who was also the sport’s first openly gay player. And fact, for a while, the high-five was a symbol of gay pri!

While at the time he tried to keep his homosexualy secret, most everyone knew. Lasorda was nial about his son’s homosexualy, and angrily trad Burke to the Oakland A’s.

Thgs didn’t get better — the A’s manager Billy Mart was also homophobic, repeatedly ed the word “faggot” and refed to play Burke. He joed a gay softball league and took his team to the world champnships. Smh, a gay activist, who wrote of the high-five, “There is stead the legacy of two men’s hands touchg, high above their heads.

THE GAY HISTORY OF THE HIGH FIVE

Did you know about Glenn Burke and the secret gay history of the high-five?

But did you know that this gture was probably vented by a gay man? He often chewed Burke out and ntuoly nied that his son was gay.

HIGH FIV ARE GAY

He was moted to Triple-A ball 1980, and retired at age Burke found solace while playg a San Francis softball league, and domated the Gay Softball World Seri. Smh lled the high five a "fiant symbol of gay pri. The only problem he seemed to be facg was the fact that he was a gay baseball player the 1970s and was iends wh the openly gay son of his manager, Tommy Lasorda.

‘MORN FAY’ REP: GAYS DON’T HIGH-FIVE

The first openly gay athlete.

211, LA Progrsive took this as an ditn that the double life of beg a gay baseball player was affectg his abily to play.

' He said, 'They don't want any gays on the team.