Out athletes Robbie Rogers and Esera
Tuaolo were among the celebrities who participated in the Los Angeles
Dodgers' fourth annual LGBT Pride Night.
Los Angeles Galaxy defender Rogers
threw the ceremonial first pitch.
“These venues and events are really
important and amazing,” Rogers told Greg
In Hollywood's Greg Hernandez. “There's a lot of kids out
there who think there's not a path for them in sports.”
Tuaolo, who announced in 2002 that he's
gay on HBO's Real Sports after retiring from a 9-year career
in the NFL, performed the national anthem.
Also attending the event were singer
Lance Bass and actor Noah Galvin, who plays a gay student on ABC's
The Real O'Neals.
“I think it’s so important just to
be visible as part of the LGBT community,” Bass said. “You don’t
really change people’s minds until they get to know you. So it’s
so important for nights like this to happen.”
“You’re rubbing elbows with people
who might not even know a gay person. It keeps us visible and shows
that we’re all the same and we all love sports on a night like this
and it’s nice to all be one,” he added.