A Red Sox pitcher joins the Pride parade in Massachusetts, a new exhibit in Washington celebrates LGBTQ rights, and a meeting between a mayor in Texas and an LGBTQ advisory board is stalled.
Red Sox Pitcher Joins Pride Parade
Boston Red Sox Pitcher Liam Hendriks joined his team's Pride float during a city parade to show support for the LGBTQ community.
Hendriks is often seen as one of baseball’s most prominent LGBTQ allies. Before he signs on with a new team, he ensures that team hosts a Pride night.
Pride nights have been controversial for some in the sport, but every team except for the Texas Rangers hosts one. They invite fans to show up and support the LGBTQ community, usually with special merchandise and fundraising for queer causes.
Hendriks’ support amid an increasingly hostile political environment targeting the community has been a breath of fresh air for LGBTQ baseball fans.
New Exhibit Celebrates LGBTQ Rights
Photo via Pexels.
An exhibit recognizing the passage of marriage equality in Washington will be displayed in Everett.
“The City of Everett is honored to host Love, Equally – a moving tribute to resilience and love,” Mayor Cassie Franklin said. “This exhibit tells the story of people who refused to be silent, who stood up and spoke out, and who helped bend the arc of our history a little closer to justice.”
The exhibition features a series of oral-history profiles, a printed book, and a photographic exhibit. People can visit from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday. It will stay in the city through September.
Meeting Between LGBTQ Advisory Board, Houston Mayor Stalled
Mayor John Whitmire. Photo by Ed Uthman, Wikimedia Commons.
A city LGBTQ advisory board that is supposed to work with the mayor’s office claimed that Houston Mayor John Whitmire has been absent.
Chair of the advisory board Jacques Bourgeois said the group has tried to schedule a meeting with Whitmire for a year, but has had no luck. Last May, he tried to schedule a meeting, but was told it wouldn’t be able to happen due to scheduling conflicts. Bourgeois said it’s important to have open communication with the mayor.
"Making sure that we always have a lifeline to our elected officials to know, let them know what's going on," Bourgeois said. "Let them know the temperature because they're busy."
Whitmire has proven to be an ally in the past, however. He has marched in Pride parades in the city and posted his support of the community on social media.
But Bourgeois said with how easily LGBTQ rights are falling apart, just showing up isn’t enough anymore.
"We don't have time for you to be an ally, 'I'm going to show up.' How much longer can you just be an ally and show up when it's coming down to the wire? We don't even know if we'll have events like this anymore," Bourgeois said.
