First Openly Gay MLB Player Glen Burke Finally Celebrated
More than 40 years after trading away Glen Burke, the MLB’s first openly gay player, the Dodgers celebrated him at their 2022 Pride Night on June 3.
In 1978, Burke was traded to the Oakland Athletics because of General Manager Al Campanis’ disapproval of homosexuality. Campanis is said to have offered Burke $75,000 to hide his sexuality from the public by getting married. Burke is said to have replied with incredulity, “To a woman?!”
The trade was insulting to Burke, particularly because he had had a solid rookie season, contributing to the team’s advancement to the 1977 World Series. Unfortunately, Burke’s time with the Athletics was no easier. Claudell Washington, the Athletics manager, introduced Burke by saying, “Oh, by the way, this is Glenn Burke. And he’s a faggot.”
Burke was ultimately released from his contract and sent to a minor league team in Utah before he gave up professional baseball altogether. He would go on to play sports on gay teams in San Francisco but struggled with addiction and unfortunately passed away in 1995 due to complications related to HIV.
More than 40 of Burke’s friends and family attended the event.
“Glenn probably would have said, ‘Dang, about time!’” says Lutha Burke Davis, Burke’s eldest sister. “He’d be grinning from ear to ear. He would be thrilled that he was thought about that much, really.”
“Being made partially whole, a part of the Dodgers’ fabric, I’m excited and ecstatic that my uncle will be acknowledged as a part of the team, with his contributions and his character not being in question anymore,” says Burke’s niece, Alice Rose.
In addition to his groundbreaking status as the MLB’s first openly gay player, Burke is also thought to have popularized the high five as a form of celebration during his time with the Dodgers.
The MLB currently has no openly gay major league players; however, they have taken steps to increase inclusion. In 2014 former outfielder Billy Bean, who came out as gay after his career, was appointed by the MLB to help guide the league toward better inclusion. This June, 28 of the 32 MLB teams are hosting LGBTQ Pride nights.
