OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Glenn Burke’s sister had a tough time even coming to the Oakland Coliseum for Athletics Pride Night. Her brother’s death remains painful 20 years later, though Carol Williams knows how much it would have meant to her brother to be honored in his old ballpark as baseball’s first openly gay player.
Billy Bean, Major League Baseball’s openly gay ambassador for inclusion and a former major leaguer, greeted members of the Burke family before Wednesday night’s game. Burke’s brother, Sidney, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to A’s reliever Sean Doolittle.
Eireann Dolan, Doolittle’s girlfriend, expected about 875 fans in her group that included LGBT youth. She and Doolittle presented a check to three local charities.
Also for Wednesday’s sold-out game, 24-year-old transgender opera singer Breanna Sinclairé sang the national anthem before the A’s hosted the San Diego Padres. There were special rainbow wristbands and pins made for the evening in support of the LGBT community.