First openly gay baseball player releases new song with welcoming message
Posted June 3, 2022 3:01 pm.
Last Updated June 3, 2022 4:22 pm.
Bryan Ruby made history last September when he became the only active professional baseball player to come out as gay.
As multiple teams across the league, including the Toronto Blue Jays, celebrate Pride Nights, Ruby is continuing his journey to make the sport more inclusive.
“There are 16 million people that play baseball. And I grew up feeling like I was the only person like me in the entire world,” Ruby told CityNews.
No longer hiding parts of his identity, Ruby launched the foundation Proud To Be In Baseball.
“We’ve had many young baseball players reaching out to us, asking, ‘What should we do? I don’t know anybody like me.’ And it’s fulfilling to be able to do this and to help younger versions of me and try to build the thing that I didn’t have as a kid that could have helped me most,” shared Ruby.
At the time of his announcement, he was playing in a minor league baseball league in Oregon. Now, he is touring North America, talking to MLB teams about his experience being a gay man in a sport where no current major league baseball player identifies as part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Ruby said he feels like people are willing to listen after being asked if he has seen any progress in the last several months.
“I feel like hate isn’t cool anymore,” said Ruby. “And they want to know, ‘What can we do? How can we work together?’ So I see a change. I mean, it’s small, it’s incremental, but it’s going to build. And I think we’re slowly but surely building towards real progress in the sport.”
Ruby is also a country musician and recently moved to Nashville. He is preparing to release a single this month titled “Left Field.”
“When I was a kid, I never would’ve thought I would be doing this”
It’s a message for everyone that they are all welcome, but he admits he gets more nervous walking up to a microphone than facing a 100-mph fastball at the plate.
“It’s nerve-wracking, honestly. I’ve gotten used to walking up to the plate in front of people. But when you get to sing, and all eyes are on you, it’s scary. But I’m getting used to it, and we’re going to stadiums.”
The 25-year-old is on a major-league baseball stadium tour singing the national anthems during Pride Month.
“When I was a kid, I never would’ve thought I would be doing this. I had a fake girlfriend at the time, and I was living a far from authentic life. And now, to be able to go back into the baseball environments, whether it’s on the field or singing the anthem or throwing out the first pitch or doing some charity event, it has brought it full circle,” said Ruby.
“It’s an honour to go back on to the ball field and to do this stuff and to start to hopefully make a change in the baseball world.”
The Blue Jays have extended their Pride Night to two evenings in Toronto because of overwhelming demand.
“We will have a pride flag on the field tonight,” said Michelle Seniuk, the Vice President of Fan Experience and Concessions. “Then, on Saturday, the Cabbagetown softball league, the first gay league in Toronto, will be taking part in the festivities.”
In addition to Pride-themed festivities, 160 community members from nine local 2SLGBTQ+ organizations will participate in pregame celebrations. In partnership with TD Bank, the Jays Care Foundation is donating $42,000 to these organizations, including a $10,000 donation with The 519.
“There are so few players who are out and proud, and I think it’ll happen as baseball builds a supportive environment. But it takes a bit to get there. And Pride Nights are a great first step,” said Ruby
Ruby will be releasing the new single on June 8. You can find out more about his charity here.
