The Last Closet scored a lengthy interview with San Francisco Giants owner Larry Baer last month, in which he talks about the history of the team's involvement with the LGBT community. That history includes AIDS awareness, producing pro sports' first It Gets Better video and recent supportive comments from Giants players about Jason Collins coming out publicly.

"We are a major baseball team," Baer said. "We're not the biggest company in the world. We're not going to be able to give the most money to change the world, but what we can do is promote awareness. The reality is for seven months a year, our games are on television and radio for at least three hours a day…. We can get messages across. And I think players as role models of those messages and the deliverers of those messages, that's hugely important. So what I'm most proud of is that we've been on the pioneering edge, if you will, of issues around AIDS, issues around bullying, issues around LGBT tolerance, openness, inclusiveness, and being the first team to do it and then having other teams locally and throughout the country and throughout the world of sports, follow us."

The interview was conducted May 29 at AT&T Park. Grady Schroeder, a collegiate runner, and I teamed up for the interview.

"The Last Closet feels it is necessary that formal infrastructure specifically regarding rules against anti gay bias still need to be put into place," they said in a statement. "Some leagues have already begun this process. Work is being done by several organizations within the newly formed LGBT Sports Coalition to make this happen. Visit You Can Play, Athlete Ally, GLAAD and GLSEN to see more on this issue."

The Last Closet is produced by Dee Mosbacher and run by Fawn Yacker.

Catch the entire interview below.

The Last Closet Interview w/ SF Giants Owner Larry Baer (via TheLast Closet)

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