The Syracuse Chiefs have been a staple of sports and entertainment in the central New York area since the team first took the field in 1934. Today, the top minor league affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals is leading the way to ensure professional sports are welcoming to all community groups.

The Chiefs will host their third annual Pride Night event on Friday as a part of the team’s Community Days series.

“We go out and we reach a certain community group that normally may not feel included in things here in the Syracuse area,” said Kyle Fussner, the Chiefs’ manager of community relations and promotions.

A 2015 graduate of Syracuse University, Fussner has been working with the Chiefs for several seasons.

“Sure, we do all sorts of silly giveaways,” Fussner said, “but getting all different fans here and all different walks of life here is important.”

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One way to include different community groups is by inviting organizations to games, Fussner said. For the third straight year, the Syracuse Gay and Lesbian Chorus will be performing the national anthem before Friday’s game.

“They know who we are,” said Earl Taylor, the chairperson of SGLC. “They kind of count on us now for the Pride Days.”

SGLC, founded in 1991, has grown into one of the largest LGBT organizations in the Syracuse area, Taylor said. The chorus consists of 30 to 40 members and is one of the longest-operating mixed-gender LGBT choirs, he added.

The group performed last week at the Great New York State Fair and sang in June at Oz-Stravaganza in Chittenango.

“There might be people at these events that don’t normally see an LGBT group ordinarily,” Taylor said. “That gives us exposure and shows that, hey, we’re just like everyone else.”

This community involvement eventually caught the attention of khristian kemp-delisser, the new director of SU’s LGBT Resource Center.

“It’s a common stereotype that LGBT people in general aren’t interested in sports,” kemp-delisser said. “I think it goes a long way for a team like the Chiefs to be able to actually counter that stereotype and send a message that, not only are queer people interested in it, but it’s an inclusive sport that welcomes anybody to be spectators, as well as actual athletes.”

The Syracuse Chiefs will face the Buffalo Bisons at Friday’s game. Fans who arrive early will receive a Syracuse Chiefs Pride towel. Courtesy of the Syracuse Chiefs

LGBT organizations are enthusiastic to participate in community events such as the Chiefs’ Pride Night, kemp-delisser said.

“If you build it, they will come,” they said, quoting the popular baseball movie “Field of Dreams,” adding, “(The LGBT Resource Center hopes) to provide a link and a bridge to the local community for students, and vice versa.”

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The center works with the greater Syracuse LGBT community by assisting SGLC, buying ads in programs and attending concerts and other events.

kemp-delisser added that the center is supportive of Pride Night because of its mission to provide support to area residents.

Fussner said the Chiefs’ mission is similar. By hosting Community Days, the Chiefs are accomplishing their goal of becoming more inclusive of all parts of the greater Syracuse community.

“We don’t care what the score of the game is, as long as you leave with a smile on your face,” Fussner said.

Published on August 28, 2018 at 9:41 pm

Contact Jordan: jslazins@syr.edu