Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 20:11:57 -0600 (CST) From: Kevyn Jacobs To: "Kansas Queer News [KQN]" Subject: NEWS-TELEGRAPH: UMPIRE TALKS ABOUT BASEBALL, COMING OUT FROM THE NEWS-TELEGRAPH MARCH 24-APRIL 16, 1995 ========================== UMPIRE TALKS BASEBALL, COMING OUT MANHATTAN KS-When David Pallone called major league baseball games, he lived behind a mask. In a lecture at Kansas State University, Pallone, who in 1988 was fired from his umpire job because he is Gay, talked about America's favorite pastimes--baseball and discrimination. Pallone spoke to about forty students at the Union Little Theatre in mid-March. In his lecture, "Behind the Mask", Pallone talked about growing up loving baseball, living a double life in the game and eventually coming out. Pallone said when he was ,fired his dream was taken away from him. "I can't tell you how much I miss baseball," he said, adding that he had wanted to umpire the World Series but was fired before he could achieve that goal. Presently Pallone is touring the country promoting his book, "Behind the Mask", and discussing with stu- dents the homophobia he continues to battle. Students attending the lecture praised Pallone's courage. And more than a few commented on the fact that Pallone now has a job that takes him around the country and the professionals in major league baseball seem to be unemployed indefinitely. ========================================================== Permission granted by the News-Telegraph for distribution to the KQN email list (KQN@casti.com), and archiving in the Queer Resources Directory (QRD) on the Internet (http://www.qrd.org/QRD). For News-Telegraph subscription information (published twice a month), please call 1.816.561.6266, or email: newstele@aol.com ==========================================================