On Thursday, Dave Pallone, a former umpire for the National Baseball League will deliver a two-hour speech about his experience as a gay man in professional baseball entitled “Who’s Really on First.”
The event is hosted by the University’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Educational and Support Services Program, Lane Community College and employees of the U.S Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
Pallone’s speech begins at 9:30 a.m. in the EMU Gumwood Room and is free
LGBT Educational and Support Services Program Director Chicora Martin said Pallone will be speaking about how he handled being a homosexual umpire in a professional baseball league, a predominately heterosexual institution. He will be giving gays advice for dealing with homophobia in the workplace or in other group situations where they may be the only homosexual. He will also discuss how to understand sexual orientation by explaining the differences between heterosexuality and homosexuality. In addition, he will talk about dealing with the personal and professional struggles of being gay.
“Pallone’s speech is meant to be empowering,” Martin said. “Everyone can learn something from his speech.” Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Alliance Issues Coordinator Kristina Armenakis said she thinks professional baseball tends to be a homophobic place and is glad Pallone is bringing awareness to these issues.
“Queer people are marginalized in professional sports, and I think to have someone who is gay be a part of that program is a breakthrough,” she said.
Pallone is the author of the 1990 New York Times best-selling autobiography “Behind the Mask: My Double Life in Baseball.” He has also been a guest on “Larry King Live” and has appeared on “The Phil Donahue Show,” “The Today Show,” “CBS Morning,” “The Geraldo Rivera Show” and “The Late, Late Show with Tom Snyder.”
LGBTQA Co-Director Nils Hashe said he thinks Pallone is a mentor for future generations because he breaks down gay stereotypes.
“I think the media tends to project gay people in a certain way, and many people think because a man is gay, he wants to be a woman — fitting into the feminine role, ” he said. “This is not the case.”
Pallone travels around the United States speaking about gay sensitivity in universities, colleges and businesses nationwide.
“Pallone is a one-man c.lly speaks about these issues around the nation for a living,” said Rosana Costello, Geographic Information System Analyst for the Willamette National Forest.
Costello said she wanted to bring Pallone to the Eugene area to create an awareness of sexual orientation discrimination because U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Venemen refused to recognize the month of June as Gay Pride Month within the department,
When President George W. Bush came into office, he refused to nationally recognize Gay Pride Month, which had been previously established under former President Bill Clinton’s administration. Secretaries had the option of recognizing it within their individual departments.
“I think this is going to be a great opportunity to address sexual orientation and harassment,” Costello said.
Martin said the University will be recognizing the month of June as Gay Pride Month and Pallone’s appearance is just one of the events scheduled.