OUT AT THE PARK: The Phillies Phanatic with ’Dolph Ward Goldenburg, who threw the opening pitch, at Gay Community Night at the Phillies in 2006. Photo: Heddy Bergsman © 2006

GLBT fans of the Philadelphia Phillies are gathering for a special night of baseball with “Gay Community Night at the Phillies” when the home team hosts the Florida Marlins at 7:05 p.m. Aug. 9 at Citizens Bank Park.

The annual event, now in its fifth year, is organized by the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.

“It was originally thought of as a summer event for GALLOP members,” said. Larry Felzer, chair of GALLOP. “Then we had talked about doing joint events with other groups, so we sat down with Robert Drake who is the chapter president for Philadelphia gay journalists’ group, and talked about doing this as a joint social for both of our members. I think we both realized at the same time, ‘Why do we want to limit this just to our two groups?’”

According to Felzer, the turnout for previous Gay Community Nights have been anywhere from 550 to 1,200, which he hopes to repeat this year.

“We have seats blocked in adjacent sections. When people call to order tickets for Gay Night they’re automatically put in those sections in the pavilion. If we sell 500 tickets, we’re entitled to the opening pitch,” he said. “This year it’s going to be the Honorable Anne Butchart. As of [July 27] we had sold about 300 tickets and people traditionally buy tickets last-minute.”

Felzer said this year’s event will be different from previous ones’ with their seats being closer to the action on the field.

“The important thing about the sections this year is that we’ve always been upstairs and this year we moved downstairs,” he said. “Seating on the top level is not wheelchair-accessible.”

Gay Community Night attendees can bring banners to the game as long as they adhere to the Phillies’ official banner guidelines.

“Banners are always allowed, but they have a policy that details what types of banners are allowed,” Felzer said. “This is the second year that the new banner policy has been in effect.”

Before the new policy, anti-gay group Repent America had attended the event with banners denouncing homosexuality.

According to the Phillies’ Web site, banners can be no larger than 4-feet high by 8-feet wide and cannot “contain ‘fighting words’ or derogatory matter.”

Felzer considers “Gay Community Night at the Phillies” a successful annual event, especially among similar GLBT nights other franchises host.

“Atlanta did it once,” he said. “Chicago has been doing it the longest. They’ve obviously been very successful. Toronto did it two years and is no longer doing it. Washington just started it last year and they’ve been successful.”

To purchase tickets for “Gay Community Night at the Phillies,” visit www.phillygaydays.com or call the Phillies sales office at (215) 463-5000.

Larry Nichols can be reached at larry@epgn.com.