Umpire Dale Scott becomes first openly gay male referee in pro sports

Veteran Major League Baseball umpire Dale Scott revealed in an interview published Tuesday that he is gay, making him the first openly gay referee in professional North American sports.

For an October profile in Referee Magazine, Scott submitted a picture of himself and his longtime partner, Michael Rausch. When asked about it by OutSports, Scott said he "felt it was the right thing to do," and that MLB was well aware of his relationship.

"I am extremely grateful that Major League Baseball has always judged me on my work and nothing else and that's the way it should be," he said.

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