Billy Bean, Vice President & Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Major League Baseball, speaks to the City Club about the MLB’s commitment to LGBTQ inclusion and fostering a culture of acceptance.
Billy Bean is the only openly gay current or former Major League Baseball (MLB) player alive today. From 1987 to 1995, he played for the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres.
As a closeted gay man in the hyper-masculine and anti-gay world of professional sports, he found himself increasingly unable to manage his double life and chose to walk away from a major league career. Bean came out publicly in 1999 and his story received nationwide coverage, making him the first major league baseball player to publicly discuss his homosexuality to this extent.
His openness and the publication of his memoir, Going the Other Way, paved the way for his eventual return to the big leagues as Major League Baseball’s first Ambassador for Inclusion. Appointed to the role in 2014 by Commissioner Bud Selig, Bean is now at the forefront of the League’s efforts for a fair and equitable workplace throughout all of baseball.
Join us for a conversation on MLB’s commitment to LGBTQ inclusion and fostering a culture of acceptance. All registered guests will receive a copy of Billy Bean’s book, Going the Other Way,courtesy of KeyBank and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.
Velocity is a community-wide initiative of Greater Cleveland Sports Commission to raise required funding and maximize the community impact of hosting some of the most significant events in sports.
This event is sold out – live stream will be available at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, July 12. To be placed on a wait list, call 216-621-0082
Phone: 216-621-0082
Email: info@cityclub.org
2019/10/11 - 2019/10/11
The City Club of Cleveland
1317 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115
Our new address is 1317 Euclid Ave., Suite 100. We are located on the north side of Euclid Ave., between E. 13th and E 14th Streets, which means the RTA’s free E-Line and C-line trolleys, and the Healthline all stop in front of our building.
If you are driving, park in the Playhouse Square Parking Garage, located at 1450 Chester Ave. You can view a map of the garage here. If you are at the City Club between 10:30 am and 3 pm, bring your ticket with you into the City Club and we will provide validation to reduce your cost to $3.00. Special rates do apply outside those hours.
After parking in the garage, you can walk to the City Club’s entrance on Euclid Ave. via the covered walkway. The walkway is accessible from the 2nd floor of the garage – keep walking through it until you reach Euclid Avenue, then turn right and our entrance is located just beneath the blue gong logo!
Valet parking is available at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, located at 1260 Euclid Ave. Mention the City Club when you pull up to valet, and your rate will be reduced to $20.
Additional, non-discounted downtown parking can be found at the Lumen Garage (1600 Euclid Ave., enter E. 17th St.), Hanna Garage (1509 Prospect Ave.), or U.S. Bank Garage (2060 E 14th St.). More Playhouse Square District parking information can also be found here.