The Giants were the first MLB team to wear the LGBTQ+ Pride logo on the field, which they put on their hat and jersey sleeves for a game last year.
Now the other team is doing the same. And this next month is setting up a rivalry game unlike any other.
The Dodgers on Monday unveiled their own LGBTQ+ Pride hats and announced plans to wear them twice, including at the pre-scheduled Pride Night in San Francisco at Oracle Park on June 11.
The Giants plan to wear the 11-color Progress Pride flag-inspired logo that night, making it the first MLB game on June 11 — and possibly the first major professional men’s sporting event in the US — where both teams are wearing the LGBTQ+ Pride logo.
The Giants first wore 11 colors that honored LGBT, transgender and marginalized communities of color in a nationally televised game against the Cubs on June 5, 2021. In addition to the hat and jersey logo, some Giants players wore additional pride-colored gear, such as Ivan Longoria wearing a Pride armband.
“I think it’s an exciting moment for our team, for our organization,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said before that day’s game. “I am extremely proud of our group for publicly supporting the LGBTQ+ community. This is an important step and we all stand behind the community.”
The Dodgers will first wear their new Pride logo in their home game against the Mets on June 3. In the press release unveiling the cap, Dodgers president Stan Castane noted the importance of the June 11 game against his longtime rival.
For the first time ever, the Dodgers will wear a custom on-field pride cap for an LGBTQ+ night on June 3 at Dodger Stadium. Then on June 11, the Dodgers and the Giants will make history when they both wear their respective team’s pride hats as they take the field at Oracle Park. pic.twitter.com/BUv06iqJGh
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@dodgers) 9 May 2022
“The Los Angeles Dodgers are proud to stand with and recognize the LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles and globally,” said Kasten. “The Dodgers have a history of breaking down barriers and we are proud to be part of another chapter in MLB history as the Dodgers and the Giants each wear their team pride caps on June 11. While our organizations have a long-standing rivalry when When it comes to equality for all, we stand together.”
Fans who purchase Pride Night special tickets from the Giants for the June 11 game will also receive socks with 11 colors of the Progress Pride flag and a Giants logo.
Certainly, the matchup – only the second game he will have played this year after the 2021 season-long run in San Francisco – will be divisive for fans on the field and in the stands.
But aesthetically, the teams will come together for a common purpose. And their logo will show it.
