Gay Baseball Fan Opens Up About Painful Homophobic Encounter At White Sox Game To Show Why Pride Nights Are So Important

In a perfect world, we'd all be welcome in any space at any time without any fear of danger or hate.

But we all know that isn't the world we currently live in, which makes specialized spaces all the more vital.

Instagrammer and Chicagoan Bill Nesnidal has enjoyed exploring the Windy City for years and has a special place in his heart, thanks to his family roots, for the Chicago White Sox and Rate Field.

Last week, Nesnidal recounted the first summer that he and his partner, Paul, started dating long-distance, leading to long stretches of time in which they did not see each other. During that particular summer, Paul only came to the city twice, and during one of those visits, they shared a negative experience neither of them would ever forget.

Because of his love of baseball and especially the White Sox, Nesnidal wanted to share the experience of going to the stadium with Paul, including watching the game, touring the space to enjoy its impressive variety of food, and watching the fireworks.

At one point, Nesnidal remembered putting his arm around Paul's shoulders, only for someone to shout from behind them that they "didn't want to see that." Later, they shared a kiss while Nesnidal thanked Paul for sharing this experience with him, and they were met with more hateful comments that they were "ruining" the experience for everyone with their public displays of affection.

At this, Nesnidal physically distanced himself somewhat from Paul, realizing that the comments were meant for them.

After they returned home, Paul started crying and made a comment that stayed with Nesnidal:

"This is why I mostly only go to Queer spaces."

"Why would I ever want to go to an event where I could feel like this?"

"There's been such a push against Pride nights, the waving of the Pride flag... But this is the exact reason for it."

You can watch the video here:

Viewers were supportive of Nesnidal and agreed with his thoughts on the importance of Pride nights.

@billnes/Instagram

@billnes/Instagram

@billnes/Instagram

@billnes/Instagram

@billnes/Instagram

@billnes/Instagram

@billnes/Instagram

@billnes/Instagram

Even the official Instagram account for the White Sox chimed in.

@billnes/Instagram

Paul also spoke up in the comments.

@billnes/Instagram

This is something that may not feel important to a person until they are personally impacted by it, either themselves or vicariously through someone they love. But safe spaces are important for all, and it's important to fight for more Pride spaces and events.