The Chicago Cubs host special days where fans dress up in wild costumes, including a 1970s-themed game with multi-colored afros
and wigs of all kinds.
Apparently, however, wigs weren't OK for 'Gay Day,' an annual event sponsored by Chicago Free Press.
A gay male couple is accusing some Cubs' security personnel of overreacting to their identical Wizard of Oz Dorothy costumes,
detaining them until mid-way through the fifth inning before allowing them to watch the remainder of the game—without their wigs.
Todd Armbruster, owner Service Is Us, Inc., and his partner, Tripp Kelley, actually researched Cubs' policy before attending the
July 12 game. Armbruster said the team's Web site said nothing against dressing in costumes, and even the front-gate security let him
in.
The Tribune Corporation, owner of the Cubs, deferred to the Cubs' public relations department on the matter. Calls to the Cubs
were not returned prior to WCT's deadline.
What could be behind the incident? Individual guards acting on homophobia, or a corporate policy banning wigs? Do the Cubs
believe that no other men or women in the stadium had on wigs, toupees, or other fake hair pieces? The Cubs' cameras do scan the
stands for faces to put on TV—perhaps they felt the wigs would offend viewers, but that the men's Dorothy dresses would not show
because they would be seated?
Following is Armbruster's account, edited for space, of what happened July 12:
'When we (Tripp, myself, and two friends, one of who just happened to be one of my attorneys) arrived at Gate F, we went thru the
security line ... . Just prior to entering the turnstyle, there was a table where security was checking bags ... . I was carrying a wicker
basket with my personal items in it, along with a stuffed Toto animal dog. Initially the security officer told me my basket was not
allowed because it was a hard object. He told me I could check it in and pick it up after the game. I told him I needed it because I had
no pockets for my wallet and cigarettes, and that it was part of my costume. He finally conceded, telling me it would be OK to take the
basket in because he hated to break up our costumes, and he saw no harm in the basket. ... Prior to going to our seats, we stopped at
the concession line ... . Two young adults approached Tripp and I and told us that we had to leave the park. [They said they] were
security, and that costumes were NOT allowed into Wrigley Field. We said we wanted to talk to their boss, and the young man told us
he was the 'head of security' three-four more park security came to us and escorted all four of us to the area just outside Gate F
entrance.
'We were detained there until several more security arrived, including off-duty Chicago Police Officers (working for the park) and
a woman who identified herself as the head of park security. They told us that we had to leave, and we refused. I asked them who
made the decision, and she said it came from her boss. We told her that we wanted to speak with her boss. ... After 30-40 minutes, the
woman 'head of security' came to us and told us that we could stay as long as we checked our wigs with them. We agreed to take off
the wigs, but refused to give them to the security. We told them that we would take them off and not wear them, but would NOT check
them. They told us that we had no other options: either check the wigs with them or leave the park. My attorney asked the question of
'Why we could wear the costume, but not the wigs.' The woman security officer told us 'wigs were NOT allowed in Wrigley Field.'
My attorney said 'Are you trying to tell us that NO wigs being worn by anyone are allowed in Wrigley field?' The security officer
replied that it didn't matter who you are, wigs are NOT allowed on anyone in Wrigley Field. We told them that this was BS, and that we
wanted to talk to the head of security who made this decision. They told us that if we were refusing to hand over the wigs that we must
leave the park. We told them that we paid for our tickets and we're not leaving.
'We continued to be detained in front of Gate F until they located someone with higher authority ... . No less than 15 groups of
patrons stopped by to ask us what was happening, and disputing our detainment ... . Most of the patrons who stopped were
heterosexual families, who wanted to take pictures of us with their families (including lots of children). Twenty or so minutes later, the
woman who initially told us we had to leave came back and said that the decision was final and now we had no choice but to leave
the park. We refused, telling them that if we were being thrown out that they would have to physically do so.
'Please note that the off-duty police officers who were part of the detainment team told us that they did not agree with the decision
of having us removed from the park, but that they were just employees of the park helping with security.
'Finally, towards the middle of the 5th inning, a tall grey-haired gentleman came to us and told us that they were going to allow us
to go to our seats, as long as we kept our wigs off, and that we could keep them with us as long as we promised to NOT put them on
while in the park. We agreed, and then proceeded to our seats (in the middle of the bottom of the 5th inning) … missing over one-half
of the game. On our journey to our seats, not less than 20 more groups of patrons stopped us to get pictures with us.
'At the bottom of the 7th inning, we went up to the fencing of the mezzanine area to smoke. When asked by a group of people if
they could get their picture with us … we told them 'sure.' They asked why we did not have Dorothy hair; I pulled out my wig to show
them, explaining that the park had been trying to throw us out, and finally agreed to let us stay as long as we took off the wigs.
'They were appalled with that decision. When I was only showing the wig to them, a park security person came over to see if we
were attempting to put on the wig (which we agreed not to do). I told the woman that we were only showing the wig, not putting it on. I
then questioned her as the whether she was there to watch us. She said yes, and I also noticed three others in the vicinity who had
been assigned to the area to watch us to make sure that we honored our agreement. The security woman told us that we looked
great, and that she did not necessarily agree with the decision about the wigs, but was just there performing her job duty, and the it
was nothing personal.
'So what we began as a great day watching the Cubs, turned out to be a total fiasco. Our friends had never been to a Cubs game
before, and along with us missed over half the game because of an unnecessary discrimination that we all endured ... all because
'wigs are against policy in Wrigley Field.' Or was it because we were GAY? Granted we wanted to bring attention to ourselves by
wearing the costumes, but thought there would be no harm in doing so. It was 'Gay Day' at Wrigley Field, and we just wanted to add
to the festivities, not cause a problem.'
