ProtestGayDay.com and the Texas Rangers

Protest Gay Day.com ^ | 09.11.03 | Rick Warden

[Coleus]

The way the Rangers have been playing, I thought every day was "Gay Day". >>>

That bad, eh? Maybe it's those limp wrists.

[DallasMike]

“Gay Day at the Ballpark will be the first time a major professional athletic team has reached out to the gay community and offered to help organize such an event.”

Please stop spreading misinformation.

It was not Texas Rangers' CEO Mike Cramer who said that, as you seem to imply, but rather the Dallas Voice, a local gay magazine, who wrote that.

The Texas Rangers deny that they did anything other than sell tickets to a group of people (just like they do for dozens of groups every game) and the Dallas Voice refuses to comment on their piece.

Rangers' CEO Mike Cramer stated emphatically on two popular radio shows in Dallas-Fort Worth that the Dallas Voice article was dead wrong. Even Rick Warden, the man who began the petition, admits that the Texas Rangers are not sponsoring a "Gay Day."

[EdReform]

"I don't know if the Phillies helped to organize their "gay day" or not, I do know that I saw a thread this summer about some fans who got kicked out of the Philidelphia ballpark for protesting homosexuality.

The homosexual agenda is continuing to stomp traditional values in this ongoing cultural war. The "gay" rainbow flag is a political symbol; the ballparks are publicly paid for structures. Why is some political speech permitted while other political speech limited?"

Good points, good question.

[weegee]

I agree that the park should sell tickets to anyone. This crowd is making a sign of political activism.

The only visual statement that the group is looking to make involves the possibility of wearing T-shirts that might make their section resemble a big gay pride flag.

If a group of racists chose to buy a block of seats and sit quietly in the stands but wear black and white shirts to cone out a triangular hood (of the type that Senator Robert Byrd used to wear) or to alternate seats and spell KKK, they would be split up if not evicted.

Every ballpark I have been to has made an announcement before the game that signs displayed in the park should be approved and that people can be evicted for some of the messages they display.

The crowd is trying to make a political statement at the civic ballpark. Either people are allowed to voice a counter position (they weren't in Philly) or everyone should hold their tongues and watch the game like normal people.

This reminds me of the story of the guys in New York who deliberately wore antiwar shirts in the mall, sitting in the food court to "see what would happen" (the father was quoted).

The ballpark owes it to their patrons to ensure the safety of all involved. This is why someone who has not done anything "wrong" may be told to change wardrobe or leave the premises (for his own safety as well as the safety of others).

[Coleus]

Doesn't matter if it's true as long as some of you get to pile on in the name of "morality".

Enjoy the workout. Pay no attention to the facts.>>>>

No, I heard about it on a radio show, either Focus on the Family or CWA, and I posted it. That's all. If you have a problem go to the guy who created the web page and petition and tell him. The FR is a forum to disseminate information which I did. It's up to the people who read the posts to make their owned informed decision as you just did. I blame you for not posting a thread refuting the information on that web page if it was not factual, this way we could have freeped the guy who created the site--too late now. After you write the dude who made the website, let me know what he said, thanks.

[Coleus]

Ok, thanks for clearing this up, we should freep the guy who made the website.

[DallasMike]

Thanks! We're slowly regaining some sanity on this thread.

I believe that it was CWA who spread this false story originally. I think very highly of them but they goofed here.

Like your tag, too!

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks.

That Gay Newspaper Dallas Voice. I've never heard of them until today.
They still have that article up saying ...

If gay community leaders meet their goal, a human gay pride flag will be seen in the stands of the Ballpark in Arlington on Sept. 14 when the Rangers host the Oakland A’s.
Gay Day at the Ballpark will be the first time a major professional athletic team has reached out to the gay community and offered to help organize such an event.
A sales representative who helped organize last year’s Gay Day for the Dallas Burn, the city’s major league soccer team, now works for the Rangers and brought the idea for Gay Day at the Ballpark with him, according to Gil Flores, services director for the John Thomas Gay and Lesbian Community Center.
Flores invited several gay and lesbian groups to attend organizational meetings. Six groups sent representatives in addition to the Resource Center of Dallas, which operates the community center.

< snip >

The Rangers donated a suite for the organizations to meet and organize the event.
All seven groups will sell tickets. The goal is to sell 1,000 seats. If 1,000 tickets to Gay Day are sold, a company has volunteered to donate T-shirts, said Flores, and the T-shirts will be in all six colors of the rainbow.

So the guy that is organizing this 'Gay Day' is an employee of the Ballpark in Arlington, if you can believe this Gay Rag. AND the article states that the Texas Rangers are supporting it.

I'd say that if this Dallas Voice would take its' article off, that Rick Warden should back down too. What do you want to bet they don't though ??

Gil Flores of the Resource Center of Dallas . . .
“We’re a very loyal community.”

[sinkspur]

The ballpark owes it to their patrons to ensure the safety of all involved. This is why someone who has not done anything "wrong" may be told to change wardrobe or leave the premises (for his own safety as well as the safety of others).

How will a group of people sitting quietly, wearing rainbow flag tee shirts threaten the "safety" of anybody else at the Ballpark?

Unless, of course, some rednecks decide to get in their faces about it.

I'm sure there will be security personnel in the area to make sure nothing happens.

There is no gay day sponsored by the Texas Rangers; just a group of gays buying a group of tickets.

[EdReform]

"The FR is a forum to disseminate information which I did. It's up to the people who read the posts to make their owned informed decision as you just did."

I agree. Thanks for your efforts in finding and posting material for discussion on Free Republic.

[weegee]

Texas Rangers to hold Gay Day (Dallas Voice)

A sales representative who helped organize last year’s Gay Day for the Dallas Burn, the city’s major league soccer team, now works for the Rangers and brought the idea for Gay Day at the Ballpark with him, according to Gil Flores, services director for the John Thomas Gay and Lesbian Community Center.

[ snip ]

The Rangers donated a suite for the organizations to meet and organize the event.

All seven groups will sell tickets. The goal is to sell 1,000 seats.

If 1,000 tickets to Gay Day are sold, a company has volunteered to donate T-shirts, said Flores, and the T-shirts will be in all six colors of the rainbow. The seats will be blocked off in one section, so the group can make a giant rainbow flag in the stands, he said.

The Chicago Cubs sold 1,000 tickets to their last gay day event, Flores said. The Atlanta Braves hosted a gay day last year, and the Philadelphia Phillies have one scheduled for August. “It’s something that’s starting to happen in a few ballparks,” Flores said.

[ snip ]

Andy Silverman, the Rangers’ vice president of ticket sales, said the “sheer earning potential” of the gay community was a factor in the team’s decision to sponsor Gay Day. The gay community has tremendous buying power, and “we can’t ignore that.”

The Ballpark in Arlington has group promotions to everyone from the Jewish Community Center to the Boy Scouts, according to Silverman.

“Everyone is welcome at the ballpark,” he said.

“We’re trying to get as many people as possible to the ballpark,” said Blake. The team isn’t worried that marketing toward gay fans will hurt attendance, he added. With ticket sales down, Silverman said, the Rangers are marketing to as many people as possible.

Mack Williamson, president of the Texas Gay Rodeo Association’s Dallas chapter, said he was “very surprised” the Rangers contacted the gay community. Members of the community have tried contacting other teams, like the Cowboys and Mavericks, to no avail, he said.

Someone is lying. I think it is the ballteam applying a CYA policy.

[GSWarrior]

You don't think it's likely that this homosexual Dallas newspaper could be guilty of wishful reporting? You'll trust them over the Ranger officials?

[weegee]

Wear a shirt with a picture of the WTC on fire with a giant laughing head of Bin Laden and a banner that says "Bush Sucks". Regardless of what you "say", your clothing is saying something offensive to many people.

The rainbow flag is largely recognized as a gay polical sign (the only exception is the similar flag that Cusco, Peru uses).

[sinkspur]

Someone is lying. I think it is the ballteam applying a CYA policy.

The Texas Rangers, like all other athletic teams, sends group ticket information to every company, church, civic organization, and other group that it can get an address for.

Why? To sell group tickets. To get groups out to the ball park.

To offer to sell tickets to a gay group is not the same as sponsoring a "gay day."

[DallasMike]

You don't think it's likely that this homosexual Dallas newspaper could be guilty of wishful reporting?

I agree. When I worked in Oak Lawn I would occasionally pick it up (it's disgusting) and the articles were fanciful, to say the least. The Rangers have consitently and powerfully denied the story in the magazine.

After all, these are the same people who continue to maintain that 10% of the population is gay.

[weegee]

Does the man they cited not work for the Rangers? Did they pay for the suite that they used to organize the meeting?

These are yes/no facts. I haven't seen journalists dispute them.

Many on FR bought the line that no, Disney is "not" financing Michael Moore's next film. They never issued a press release to Variety (who carried the original story) to retract the item. One FReeper called around and around. He was satisified for awhile and then he finally got someone to sheepishly acknowledge that they are financing it through one of their subsidiaries.

[weegee]

To offer to sell tickets to a gay group is not the same as sponsoring a "gay day."

Which came first, the chicken or the egg. Did the Rangers' homosexual staffer approach members of the gay community about a bulk purchase or did they approach him. He appears to be more proactive in reaching out to the gay community than you notice.

[EdReform]

"The Rangers donated a suite for the organizations to meet and organize the event."

I realize that this is being reported in a queer fishwrap and on it website, however this needs to be checked out. Texas Rangers' CEO Mike Cramer stated empathically that there is no support from the Rangers. If it is absolutley false that the Rangers donated a suite, then Mr. Cramer needs to force the queer newspaper and website to retract and remove that statement, with the threat of legal action if they refuse.

Many homosexuals are some of the biggest pathological liars on the planet.

[sinkspur]

He appears to be more proactive in reaching out to the gay community than you notice.

If a biker member of the Rangers' staff reaches out the biker community, would you care?

Would Rick Warden care?

Warden's trying to raise money by bashing gays.

Shouldn't he also go after Kroger because Kroger allows gays to shop there?

[weegee]

Here's the communication's director's spin (from the Dallas Observer):

John Blake, Rangers senior vice president of communication, says contrary to reports, the team is not hosting a "gay day." It simply sold tickets as part of a group sales initiative.

"We've gotten some [angry] e-mails and phone calls," Blake says. "Once they hear what it is, which is a group-ticket initiative, a lot of people are appeased. Some have been pretty mad, and some things they've said have been pretty mean-spirited. There are some people out there not happy about what we've done, but we're in the business of selling tickets."

This is BS. The man who sold the tickets had previously helped to establish a gay day for the soccer team. To deny that his act was politically motivated is BS. They can deny it, but I don't have to support it.

The author closed with this:

Warden did say one thing Buzz agrees with. He prefers the term "sodomite" to "gay." Good point. Gay just sounds effete, while sodomite has a nice tough ring to it, like someone who could kick your ass if you make fun of his rainbow T-shirt. Maybe the next time all you gays get together for one of your meetings--we assume you have those to organize all that flaunting--you can vote on a name change.

I'd like to see them adopt the name "sodomite". It be an acknowledgement that their act is an abomination and that they flaunt their sins (Sodom and Gommorah anyone?) rather than try to deal with them.