Billy Bean

Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Sport: Baseball

 "For 20 years, the Gay Games has been instrumental in fostering positive images of the LGBT community through sports and culture. As a lifelong athlete and gay man, supporting the Gay Games and its principles of 'Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best' is something I can embrace with a great amount of enthusiasm."

At a glance: A California native who broke into major league baseball with the Detroit Tigers in 1987 (setting a major league record with four hits in his first game), Billy continued with the Los Angeles Dodgers and retired from the San Diego Padres in 1996 in the prime of his career, in part because of a year-long struggle dealing with the sudden death of his former partner ... He came out in 1999, sharing his story and urging people to use honesty as a foundation for life ... Billy serves as a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, doing outreach to young adults ... He is the author of "Going the Other Way: Lessons from a Life In and Out of Major League Baseball" ... He redevelops residential properties with his domestic partner, Efrain Veiga ...

Billy attended the 100 Champions event in Chicago in April 2006 in support of Gay Games VII and joined us for the week of the Games that July, appearing at the closing ceremony to welcome the crowd and introduce Leigh-Ann Naidoo ...

Billy's website: www.billybean.com