The Battle Creek Bombers, a collegiate summer league baseball team, are catching flack for hosting a "Gun Safety & Education Night" two nights after their LGBTQ Pride Night, according to The Huffington Post.
The Bombers, who play in Battle Creek, Mich., are trying to appeal to people on both sides of the gun control debate.
“There are always going to be folks who don’t agree with what we do,” General Manager Tony Iovieno told TMZ. “We just had LGBT Pride Night the other night, and some people didn’t like that either. You can’t please everyone.”
The team has also called it "2nd Amendment Education Night." Fans were invited to bring their firearms to the game. Michigan is an open-carry state with a "different culture" from most U.S. cities, according to Iovieno.
"Who am I to take an odd political stance and say we can’t do that?" Iovieno said. "I don’t think that’s the role I have or what I should be doing. But I like that this is sparking a conversation because it’s a conversation that should be had."
Iovieno called recent U.S. mass shootings "horrific." Extra police will attend the game as security, and fans who bring guns will be given wristbands prohibiting them from purchasing alcohol.
Minor-league baseball teams are always searching for creative promotions, but this seems irreverent given the timing.
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