The Mets will host their first LGBT Pride Night on Saturday, August 13, as they host the San Diego Padres at Citi Field. According to the Mets' website:

A portion of each ticket sold through this special offer will benefit the LGBT Network, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and its Safe Schools Initiative to stop bullying in Long Island and Queens.

The Mets aren't the first baseball team to host such a night, as the Nationals and Cubs have been hosting similar events since the early 2000s. More recently, the Athletics introduced an LGBT night of their own. As for the Mets' event, here's what LGBT Network CEO David Kilmnick had to say:

"We are very grateful to Major League Baseball for taking the lead in professional sports by including the LGBT community in its diverse priorities and initiatives. As a life-long fan, I am very proud that the New York Mets are making sure that everyone is welcomed and celebrated at Citi Field and that their organization is setting such a powerful example of inclusion, and a message of acceptance for anyone who loves the game of baseball.



The New York metro area is home to an estimated two million LGBT residents and families who have long felt left out and not safe in major league ballparks and sports arenas. Bullying is still a major league problem for LGBT youth with over 82% reporting being verbally and physically harassed in the past year, according to LGBT Network."