The Golden State Warriors organization will host its first ever official Gay and Lesbian night at Oracle Arena on March 11 when the Warriors take on the Portland Trailblazers.
Participants of the evening not only get to watch Golden State take on the Portland Trailblazers, but can partake in an open gym at arena earlier in the day.
The open court play will allow ticket holders to play basketball on an NBA court. The Rockdogs, a gay basketball team based in San Francisco, will host the pre-game festivities.
The move leverages the strong gay and lesbian community in the Bay Area, which includes Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose.
The Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus will sing the National Anthem before tip-off and Cheer SF, a local gay cheerleading squad, will entertain at halftime.
March 11 is the first LGBT community night with the Golden State Warriors, but isn’t the NBA’s first. The Philadelphia 76ers hosted the first Gay and Lesbian community night in 2004. The Toronto Raptors held an LGBT night dubbed Rainbow Hoops, a in Toronto in 2007.
A portion of ticket sales from the Warriors game supports the HIV/AIDS organization Positive Resource Center and the San Francisco Rockdogs.
