Spring training is now well underway, and the San Francisco Giants will open their season on March 25, 2026, with a series against the New York Yankees. Baseball is one of the oldest and most foundational organized sports in the U.S., and yet no active MLB player has ever come out as LGBT during their career. Only two former MLB players have come out: Billy Bean (1964–2024) and Glenn Burke (1952–1995).
Burke comes to mind now, not only because we are gearing up for baseball season, but also because 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the national observance of Black History. While Black History Month has come to a close (the shortest month of the year), the observance really carries on throughout the entire year. Also, there is renewed attention being paid to Burke’s living legacy in the Bay Area.
He is buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, which has just added new markers to the graves of Black individuals whose lives have shaped civic, cultural, and political history. The Oakland LGBTQ Center honors this baseball star with its Glenn Burke Wellness Clinic. Burke died of complications from HIV/AIDS, and the clinic is dedicated to preventing this disease along with other illnesses that have ravaged the LGBTQ+ community and others.
There is a lot of joy associated with Burke, though, as he is credited with originating what is now a ubiquitous gesture of celebration and support: the high five. This happened on October 2, 1977, when Burke ran onto the field to congratulate teammate Dusty Baker after Baker hit his 30th home run in the last game of the regular season. Burke raised his hand over his head as Baker jogged home from third base. Not knowing what to do about the upraised hand, Baker slapped it and the high five was born.
In a rare interview with the Today show in 1982, Burke talked about his career, sexuality, and more.
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