Major League Baseball appointed Billy Bean, a former player who is now openly gay, as a consultant in guiding the sport toward full LGBT inclusion. This news broke earlier this afternoon.
Bean will offer training to players and staff, designed to educate about LGBT-related issues and to create a more supportive environment in professional baseball, both major and minorleagues.
"As a young man, I silently walked away from baseball for all the wrong reasons, and today I am truly humbled that the Commissioner's Office has brought me back to lead the effort on inclusion. I will honor baseball's great tradition, and be the resource that our current and future players need as they embrace their responsibility as role models to our fans," said Billy, who spent six seasons in the major leagues with the LA Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, and San Diego Padres. His last game with the MLB was in 1995, four years before he came out publicly as gay.
Commissioner Bud Selig made this announcement after the All-Star game this afternoon, which also recognized at long-last the life of Glenn Burke, a gay MLB player who passed away in 1995. Glenn's sister, Lutha, joined Bud and Billy and today's press conference.
MLB has previously partenered with GLAAD on initiatives like Spirit Day to speak out against bullying and stand in support of LGBT youth.