Kiss that creepy custom at Citi Field goodbye!
In response to accusations of homophobia, the New York Mets announced Wednesday, in an exclusive statement to HuffPost Live, that the team would no longer include two opposing players on its "Kiss Cam."
A spokesperson for the Mets wrote to HuffPost Live:
We have, on occasion, included players from opposing teams in our popular in-game Kiss Cam feature. While intended to be lighthearted, we unintentionally offended some. We apologize for doing so and no longer will include players in the feature. Our organization is wholly supportive of fostering an inclusive and respectful environment at games.
Other fans joined Bednarsh in calling for the Mets to end the bad joke, calling the team "homophobic," "imbeciles," and "f*cking stupid."
While the joke continued throughout the season, Bednarsh wrote to the Mets directly this month asking them to change the policy:
While Bednarsh never got a response from the Mets, HuffPost Live invited him to join Thursday's edition of "Queerview" to discuss the issue. In preparation for the segment, HuffPost Live reached out to the Mets, and received the news that Bednarsh had been waiting for.
Watch the full interview on HuffPost Live's "Queerview" above, in which host Josh Zepps surprises Etan Bednarsh with the news that the Mets decided to drop the bad Kiss Cam joke.