In 1977, a gay baseball player vented the high-five - LGBTQ Natn

Contents:

• IN 1977, A GAY BASEBALL PLAYER VENTED THE HIGH-FIVE
• DEEP INSI HOLLYWOOD: JAMIE LEE CURTIS HIGH FIV A GAY BASEBALL LEGEND
• BASEBALL’S FIRST OUT PLAYER, GLENN BURKE, CREATED THE HIGH-FIVE, BRIEFLY A SYMBOL OF GAY PRI

IN 1977, A GAY BASEBALL PLAYER VENTED THE HIGH-FIVE

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. 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.

DEEP INSI HOLLYWOOD: JAMIE LEE CURTIS HIGH FIV A GAY BASEBALL LEGEND

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

Thirteen years later, he told People magaze that "My missn as a gay ballplayer was to break a stereotype... They n't ever say now that a gay man n't play the majors, bee I'm a gay man and I ma .

" Although he did play softball gam and low sle petns like the 1986 Gay Gam basketball, his life still scend to sex and durgs, a hab that secured him a e addictn that stroyed his body. While Burke never me out durg his playg reer, he also ma no effort to hi the fact that he was gay om his teammat.

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

Burke’s big league reer was short and tumultuo, marked by clash wh homophobic managers Tommy Lasorda and Billy Mart. Its orig is documented to the Los Angel Dodgers’ Glenn Burke, the first gay player Major League Baseball out to his teammat and management.

Related: Meet Ameri’s first openly gay profsnal baseball player.

” The elr Lasorda nied his son was gay, even as his son eventually died of plitns om AIDS 1991. After baseball, Burke peted the 1982 and 1986 Gay Gam, and he was a standout player the San Francis Gay Softball League. “They n’t ever say now that a gay man n’t play the majors, ” Burke said, “bee I’m a gay man, and I ma .