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NFL, MLB will participate in NYC Pride March for the first time this month

Ryan Young
Staff writer
·2 min read
The NFL and MLB will participate in the New York City Pride March for the first time later this month, joining the NBA, WNBA, NHL and multiple other professional sports leagues in the event. (AP Photo/Nelson Antoine)
The NFL and MLB will participate in the New York City Pride March for the first time later this month, joining the NBA, WNBA, NHL and multiple other professional sports leagues in the event. (AP Photo/Nelson Antoine)

When thousands of people take to the streets of Manhattan for the New York City Pride March later this month, two of the biggest professional sports leagues in the United States will be participating for the first time.

The NFL and MLB will be making their debut in the parade, joining the NHL, NBA and WNBA on June 24. The five leagues are all currently registered to march in the parade and will have floats, according to Cyd Ziegler of OutSports.com. The MLS and the National Women’s Hockey League are set to have employees and players marching in the parade, too.

The MLB will send nearly 200 employees to the march, including Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem. Former umpire Dale Scott and former player and current league executive Billy Bean — who are both openly gay — will also participate.

Former Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots lineman Ryan O’Callaghan — who came out as gay last year — will participate and be featured on the league’s float. San Francisco 49ers assistant coach Katie Sowers, who was the first openly gay coach and the second woman ever to hold a full-time coaching position in the NFL, will also take part.

Tennis legend Billie Jean King is one of four grand marshals for the event, too.

The NBA and WNBA were the first professional sports leagues to officially participate in the event in 2016, and both NBA commissioner Adam Silver and WNBA president Lisa Borders have marched in the past. Former NBA player Jason Collins — who was the first active NBA player to come out as gay — will be featured on the league’s float.

The NHL is returning to the event for the second year in a row, too, and will also participate in the Toronto Pride Parade on the same day.

The march will begin at 12 p.m. on June 24 in Manhattan.

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