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By Miriam Raftery
May 24, 2016 (San Diego) – Previously, we reported on the uproar that occurred when the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus took the field to perform before a Padres game last week. Their microphones were turned off inexplicably and a woman’s voice singing the Star Spangled banner blared over the loudspeakers instead.
The incident made nationwide news, sparked outrage in the gay community and prompted Major League Baseball to announce it is investigating the situation.
Now the Padres have responded, indicating that although their investigation found no evidence of malicious intent, the mistake and oversight failure prompted the Padres to fire the contractor responsible and discipline an employee.
The Padres stated, “We once again sincerely apologize to members of the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus, their families and those who came out to support their Pride Night performance. The Padres organization is proud of our longstanding commitment to inclusion – within both our sport and our community. We deeply regret that a mistake on our part has called this into question, but accept full responsibility.”
The San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus met with Padres CEO Mike Dee and issued a statement applauding the Padres efforts to “bring our communities together with constructive, positive change.”
In addition, the choral group called on the Padres to give the DJ at DJ ARTFORM his job back, recognizing “his support for the LGBT community and equality for all people.” The group’s statement adds, “Everyone deserves a second chance.”
The Padres have not yet indicated whether or not they will reinstate the DJ.
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