Dodgers Commemorate Pioneering LGBTQ+ Figures Glenn Burke and Billy Bean with Permanent Tribute

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated LGBTQ+ icons and former players Glenn Burke and Billy Bean on Friday by unveiling a permanent display dedicated to their legacies. This tribute, introduced during the team's 13th Pride Night, took place just before the Dodgers faced off against the Los Angeles Angels in the Freeway Series. A heartfelt ceremony, attended by family members, marked the occasion.

Greg Baker, Bean's husband, expressed gratitude for the recognition, stating, "It’s brave of them in this day and age to spotlight someone in our community when other organizations are trying to erase us." As a blue curtain fell to reveal the display beneath the left-field pavilion, family members reacted with gasps and applause. The tribute features Burke's No. 3 and Bean's No. 40 jerseys framed against a vibrant rainbow backdrop, alongside a color image of Burke's baseball card and a black-and-white action shot, while Bean's section includes two color photos.

Joyce Burke Henderson, one of Burke's sisters, remarked on how her brother would have cherished this moment, saying, “He would be smiling, he would be so happy, he probably would be giving a high-five.” Burke was the first MLB player to come out as gay in 1982 following his retirement, having played for the Dodgers and Oakland Athletics from 1976 to 1979. He, along with teammate Dusty Baker, is credited with creating the high-five after a memorable play in 1977. Burke passed away in 1995 at the age of 42 due to complications from AIDS.

In 1999, four years after his retirement, Bean became the second player in MLB history to publicly identify as gay. In 2014, he was appointed Major League Baseball's first ambassador for inclusion and later served as the league's senior vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Bean was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2023 and died the following year at the age of 60. Baker, who spoke at the ceremony, noted, “It never stops being emotional... I'm so proud of him.”

As the families took turns capturing memories in front of the display, Burke Henderson reflected on their shared love for the honorees, stating, “We just appreciate the Dodgers honoring him and Billy Bean, too. We knew Billy Bean. They were both great guys.” Baker concluded by acknowledging the ongoing challenges within the sports community and society at large, saying, “There’s always going to be homophobia, just hopefully there’s going to be less and less of it.”