Boystown comes out for World Series champion Cubs
Thu. November 3, 2016 3:59 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
tommy holl takes a picture with roscoe's "w"
photo credit // facebook
Roscoe’s Tavern displays giant “W” in support of Cubs' winning season
Chicago, IL -
The Chicago Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years on Wednesday night and many of Boystown's most popular bars and nightclubs showed some serious support for their North Side neighbors.
Once the Cubs reached the NLCS series last month, Roscoe's Tavern rolled out a giant ivy curtain - an homage to Wrigley Field - and added an illuminated "W" to show support for the team's winning season.
"The public's reaction to the W was immediate," Roscoe's General Manager Brenden Chrisman told ChicagoPride.com. "I think it is safe to say that hundreds of people have stopped and taken pictures of it over the last two weeks."
The display will remain hanging above the popular Boystown bar at the corner of North Halsted and Roscoe through Monday, according to Chrisman.
"Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs on an amazing win and we look forward to celebrating with them at the parade and rally on Friday," he said.
Wrigley Field – the Cubs' 102-year-old ball park – and Wrigleyville are practically within spitting distance of Boystown, the city's LGBT neighborhood. While the two neighborhoods may seem radically different, LGBT sports historian Bill Gubrud told ChicagoPride.com that the Chicago Cubs and their fans have always been good neighbors.
"Wrigley is an amazing place to watch a game and it remains the most welcoming ballpark to the LGBT community anywhere in the country," said Gubrud, who is executive director of the National Gay & Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame (NGLSHF).
In fact, the Cubs have hosted a "gay day" at the ballpark every year since 2001. Out at Wrigley is the longest-running LGBT-themed day among the 30 Major League Baseball teams.
That's on top of the Chicago Cubs becoming the first MLB team to have an openly gay owner in 2009 when the Ricketts family took over ownership of the Cubs from the Tribune Company. Laura Ricketts, a prominent lesbian, is part of the active family management.
Under the Ricketts family, the Cubs made the bold decision to enlist "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks to represent the team at the annual Chicago Pride Parade in 2010. The team has participated in the parade each year since with Cubs player and Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg riding the team float this past summer.
Plus, in 2011, the Cubs became one of the first MLB teams to release a pro-gay "It Gets Better" video, which featured Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster and Darwin Barney.
The Chicago Cubs' rich history with the LGBT community earned them a place in the Chicago-based NGLSHF during a 2013 ceremony at Center on Halsted. It's also why so many Boystown mainstays, including Roscoe's and Sidetrack, came out in support of the Cubs.
"The Cubs are a part of Chicago history and an integral part of the Lakeview community," added Chrisman. "To see our friends and neighbors succeed in such a historic way is exciting and gives us the opportunity to celebrate and be proud of not only them, our neighborhood, but also our amazing city."
Sidetrack, 3349 N Halsted, will open at 10 a.m. on Friday for a Cubs celebration viewing party with the parade broadcast on their big screen.
Related: Chicago Cubs World Series victory celebration is Friday
Once the Cubs reached the NLCS series last month, Roscoe's Tavern rolled out a giant ivy curtain - an homage to Wrigley Field - and added an illuminated "W" to show support for the team's winning season.
"The public's reaction to the W was immediate," Roscoe's General Manager Brenden Chrisman told ChicagoPride.com. "I think it is safe to say that hundreds of people have stopped and taken pictures of it over the last two weeks."
The display will remain hanging above the popular Boystown bar at the corner of North Halsted and Roscoe through Monday, according to Chrisman.
"Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs on an amazing win and we look forward to celebrating with them at the parade and rally on Friday," he said.
Wrigley Field – the Cubs' 102-year-old ball park – and Wrigleyville are practically within spitting distance of Boystown, the city's LGBT neighborhood. While the two neighborhoods may seem radically different, LGBT sports historian Bill Gubrud told ChicagoPride.com that the Chicago Cubs and their fans have always been good neighbors.
"Wrigley is an amazing place to watch a game and it remains the most welcoming ballpark to the LGBT community anywhere in the country," said Gubrud, who is executive director of the National Gay & Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame (NGLSHF).
In fact, the Cubs have hosted a "gay day" at the ballpark every year since 2001. Out at Wrigley is the longest-running LGBT-themed day among the 30 Major League Baseball teams.
That's on top of the Chicago Cubs becoming the first MLB team to have an openly gay owner in 2009 when the Ricketts family took over ownership of the Cubs from the Tribune Company. Laura Ricketts, a prominent lesbian, is part of the active family management.
Under the Ricketts family, the Cubs made the bold decision to enlist "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks to represent the team at the annual Chicago Pride Parade in 2010. The team has participated in the parade each year since with Cubs player and Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg riding the team float this past summer.
Plus, in 2011, the Cubs became one of the first MLB teams to release a pro-gay "It Gets Better" video, which featured Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster and Darwin Barney.
The Chicago Cubs' rich history with the LGBT community earned them a place in the Chicago-based NGLSHF during a 2013 ceremony at Center on Halsted. It's also why so many Boystown mainstays, including Roscoe's and Sidetrack, came out in support of the Cubs.
"The Cubs are a part of Chicago history and an integral part of the Lakeview community," added Chrisman. "To see our friends and neighbors succeed in such a historic way is exciting and gives us the opportunity to celebrate and be proud of not only them, our neighborhood, but also our amazing city."
Sidetrack, 3349 N Halsted, will open at 10 a.m. on Friday for a Cubs celebration viewing party with the parade broadcast on their big screen.
Related: Chicago Cubs World Series victory celebration is Friday