South Side comedian and queer influencer Tee Sanders didn't just throw out the first pitch at a White Sox Pride Night last year, this year, she designed the hat. The result is a wearable piece of queer history that sold out to the first 700 fans through the gates at Guaranteed Rate Field on Wednesday.
A Hat Built on Intersecting Identities
The design leaves no identity behind. One side of the hat carries a Freedom Day patch representing the Stonewall Riots alongside a "2015" decal marking Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruling that brought marriage equality nationwide. The other side features a Black Power fist and the phrase "I'm from da crib", a nod to Sanders' deep South Side roots.
I'm a black lesbian from Chicago. The hat needs to represent that.
Tee Sanders
Sanders was clear from the jump that the hat couldn't be one thing or the other. "I'm a black lesbian from Chicago," she told Queerty. "The hat needs to represent that." When she brought the concept to the White Sox, she says they were immediately on board, no watering down, no compromises.
A Long Day That Ended in a Win
Sanders' Pride Night started at 6 a.m. with interviews on local TV and radio and ended with a 2-1 Sox victory, vegan hot dogs, jackfruit sliders, and what she described as "all smiles and love" from the moment she arrived. Her friends and family were there with her, and the reception from fans across the board confirmed what she was aiming for: a hat anyone could wear proudly, not just queer attendees.
"Everyone can enjoy the hat," she said. "It's huge to have your ally rocking the rainbow and being proud to rock the hat, because that represents me."
The Sox Rivalry Angle
It's worth noting the geography here. Wrigley Field sits a block from Boystown, Chicago's historic LGBTQ+ neighborhood, giving the Cubs a built-in queer fan base. (The Cubs are also hosting their own Pride Celebration on June 15.) But Sanders, born on the West Side before moving south, has always bled black and white. About 98% of her family roots for the Cubs, she says, she never wavered.
After finishing 41-121 in 2024, the worst single-season record in modern baseball history, and then 60-102 in 2025, the White Sox are currently leading their division in 2026. For a franchise and a fan base that endured two brutal years, this Pride Night had a lot more to celebrate than usual.
Community Runs Deeper Than the Game
The event wasn't just a feel-good giveaway. A portion of every ticket sold for Pride at the Park benefits Howard Brown Health, the Chicago-based LGBTQ+ health organization that has provided care to the community for decades. That kind of organizational commitment turns a themed game night into something with real, lasting impact.
From the time I walked in, it was all smiles and love. I said, OK. This is a safe space for us.
Tee Sanders
Why It Matters
Sanders has built her platform on being unapologetically herself, the accent, the team gear, the laugh, and this collaboration is an extension of that. A major sports franchise not only welcoming a queer Black woman but handing her creative control over a piece of merchandise is a meaningful gesture, especially in a cultural moment when many organizations are retreating from LGBTQ+ visibility. The hat already existed in prior years as part of the White Sox's recurring Pride Night commitment, but this year it carries a name, a story, and a specific community behind it. That's the difference between a token and a partnership.
Source: Queerty
Cover photo: Eddie O. / Pexels
