In the summer of 2000, two women were thrown out of a Los Angeles Dodgers game for kissing. You know, that normal thing that most happy couples do when they are together. They were surrounded by eight security guards and escorted out because they were exposing children to disgusting acts of horror, like love and engaging in public displays of affection that every straight couple engaged in that same evening.
Fast forward 15 years and people are now cheering as a gay couple kisses on the Jumbotron at that same stadium. Sure, it took us 15 years to get here, but at least we're here.
Last Saturday at the Dodgers game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, the infamous Kiss Cam was making its usual way around the stadium, putting couples up on the big screen so people could see them awkwardly smooch. The camera then landed on two men, which used to be a stupid joke before most professional sports organizations banned it, but this was no joke. This was just another couple, and the Dodgers wanted to include them in the corny fun.
What happened next was extra special. When the couple kissed and smiled at the camera, the entire stadium cheered, because they knew they were witnessing something they would not have seen merely five years ago. It was not the first gay kiss cam at a major league baseball game (that was in 2011 at the San Francisco Giants' stadium for LGBT Night), but it was still a special moment to be a part of, as described by attendee Steve Hartline to The Gaily Grind:
I was at the Dodger/Diamondbacks game on Saturday evening at Dodger Stadium. Kiss Cam comes on, and after a few standard awkward couple moments, the camera focuses on two men. My natural instinct was this was for a gag/cheap laugh, but the two men turned to each other and kiss, indicating they are a real-life loving couple, not a punchline. Could this the first for a MLB game? Either way, I'm glad I was there, as it felt historic, and was proud of the loud, enthusiastic response from the crowd. Not one person around me groaned or made derogatory remarks, and seemed genuinely pleased with the moment.
The couple in the video, married couple of 20 years Steven and Rick Simone-Friedland, spoke to The Advocate about the big moment and what the heartwarming reaction meant to them.
"All we did was kiss," Steven said. "What made everyone's day was the crowd reaction. I don't think anybody was expecting that reaction. I kiss my husband every single day. That's not the big deal. The big deal is what happened immediately after. That's just the most amazing thing."
Let's hope other MLB teams follow the Dodgers lead with their Kiss Cam action. Equality for all, even when it comes to awkward Jumbotron PDA.