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Yomiuri Shimbun

At Nats Park, a Tradition Continues and a Ballpark Becomes a ‘Safe Space'

Hannah Foslien/For The Washington Post Mari Con Carne performs during a drag show before the Nationals-Cubs game on Thursday. Sasha Colby got the invite, then got to work. The first trans woman of color to win the reality TV competition 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' Colby said she had been practicing for her ceremonial first pitch at Nationals Park, and – as she toed the rubber Thursday – felt pretty good about her chances of throwing a strike. But it turned out there was a minor oversight in her preparation. 'I didn't do it in heels when I practiced,' Colby, who wore a custom, unbuttoned Nationals jersey over a hot pink dress, said after bouncing her pitch to Nationals mascot Screech, who sported a rainbow jersey for the Nationals' Night Out, the team's annual Pride night. 'But I've heard that I did better than some people in flats.' (Colby heard right.) The errant toss didn't put a damper on a festive and meaningful evening. Colby wasn't the first drag queen to take the mound at Nationals Park – another former 'RuPaul's Drag Race' winner, Bianca Del Rio, did the honors at last year's Night Out, but there was a bit of Night Out history made before Washington's 7-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Shortly after the gates opened, the stage on the Budweiser Terrace, which typically plays host to cover bands, featured a 30-minute drag show, a first for Washington's Pride night. 'On the count of three, I want you to pretend this is a Beyoncé concert,' host Inita D said before opening the show. Three other performers in sparkly, sequined costumes followed, dancing their way through the gathering crowd, lip-synching and even breaking out an occasional cartwheel while collecting tips from smiling fans. Team DC, a nonprofit that educates the LGBTQ+ community on the benefits of team and individual sports participation, booked the pregame entertainment for Thursday's game. The volunteer organization's president, Miguel Ayala, said he was thrilled to have Colby take part given her track record as a transgender advocate, including during an appearance at a White House reception in 2023. Team DC has partnered with the Nationals to host Night Out since the inaugural event at RFK Stadium in 2005, when staffers worried they wouldn't be able to sell their allotment of 200 tickets. This year, the number of special tickets sold, which came with a Pride-themed Nationals jersey and benefited Team DC's student-athlete scholarship fund, exceeded last year's record total of roughly 7,500. The prevailing message among those in attendance was one of support. 'Sometimes the sports world is not as friendly to the LGBTQ community as I would like,' Nationals fan Younger Oliver said after the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington sang the national anthem. 'So it feels important for me to come and show my support as an ally and be part of it, and spend my money and show MLB and the Nats that this is something that I care about.' 'This feels like an easy way to stand up, show up and be around community, which is really nice, because things are really depressing right now,' Oliver's friend, Hannah Cook, said, referencing the current political climate. 'You don't always take time to experience the joy, and I think that's more important than ever.' With D.C. hosting WorldPride, the world's largest LGBTQ+ festival, it's perhaps no surprise that the 20th edition of one of the longest-running Pride events in professional sports was the biggest version yet. But it was also held against the backdrop of the Trump administration's attack on transgender rights and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which has led some brands to distance themselves from Pride events. Within Major League Baseball, Pride nights have drawn attention in recent years, often because of players pushing back on the celebrations for religious reasons. In 2022, five Tampa Bay Rays players refused to wear the team's Pride night uniform, which featured rainbow colors on the jerseys and caps. In 2023, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, citing a 'desire to protect players,' said the league told its teams to avoid putting Pride logos on uniforms. That year, Nationals pitcher Trevor Williams invoked his Catholic faith when he voiced his opposition to the Los Angeles Dodgers' decision to honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group whose members dress in colored habits and cloaks, on Pride night. Every MLB team except the Texas Rangers will celebrate Pride in some fashion this month. The Nationals, in partnership with Team DC, leaned into their celebration. 'From our end, it's a no-brainer that we're going to continue having a Night Out again and again, because our philosophy is that baseball is for everyone,' said Betsy Philpott, chief legal officer for the Nationals and a member of the organization's Pride employee resource group. 'It feels right, it feels like it's needed and like a good time to do it,' said D.C.-based drag queen Mari Con Carne, who wore black thigh-high boots and a flower-print top for her pregame performance. 'It's beautiful, it's love, and it's part of the resistance we're trying to show in any political climate. It's not just the past few months. It's been here forever, and celebration is a part of the resistance.' 'For the Nationals to really put themselves out there and make themselves an ally – not just saying things and not just having one Pride night, but doing things throughout the year – it's special, and it makes you feel safe as a queer person walking around,' said Colby, who will host a party at Atlantis on Friday and perform on the main stage at the WorldPride street festival on Saturday. 'Who would've thought that [a baseball stadium] would be a safe space for us?' While Night Out is among the Nationals' most successful special-ticket events, Philpott noted that the team holds various theme nights to celebrate many other cross-sections of the community throughout the season. 'We want to make sure that everyone in the DMV area feels comfortable coming to games and that they can be part of this experience of watching the Nationals with us,' Philpott said. On Thursday, a Pride flag flew beyond left field as a crowd of 30,402 filled the stands. Tom held up a Pride flag after winning the Presidents' Race, which featured Team DC scholarship winners at the finish line. The stadium lights and scoreboards featured rainbow colors and imagery throughout the night. Colby said the Nationals' latest celebration of the LGBTQ+ community came at an important time. 'It just seems so pertinent right now, especially for a lot of queer people, a lot of people of color,' she said after her ceremonial pitch and a pregame meet-and-greet with fans. 'We're feeling oppressed. Pride is a protest, so this is a perfect time to really just protest with absolute queer strength and celebration. That's our weapon of choice.'