Documentary on out gay baseball player Glenn Burke
A documentary has been produced about Glenn Burke, the only Major League baseball player to have come out as gay.
Burke came out in 1982 in a magazine article after his playing career had ended. During his time in the game, he said his teammates were aware of his sexuality.
He died of AIDS in 1995, shortly after publishing his autobiography. In the book, he claimed that Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Al Campanis had offered to pay for his honeymoon if he married a woman.
The documentary, Out: The Glenn Burke Story, will premiere tonight at a screening at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco and will also be shown on CSNBA.
It will feature interviews with Burke’s friends and teammates, who, according to USA Today, will detail the homophobia he suffered and the effect it had on him.
After his career ended in the 1980s, he moved to San Francisco and became a gay celebrity. However, his dream of acceptance turned sour, as he began abusing drugs and spent time homeless and in prison.
In the 31 years since Burke played his last major baseball game, no other high-profile baseball player has come out.