Jamie Lee Curtis to produce film about gay baseball player

Jamie Lee Curtis is making a film about late gay baseball player Glenn Burke.

Burke played Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland A’s between 1976 and 1979 and was open about his sexuality with his teammates and managers.

“By 1978 I think everybody knew,” he once said, adding that he was “sure his teammates didn’t care”. During his career, Burke was credited with inventing the ‘high 5’ hand gesture.

Burke came out publically in a  TV interview in 1982, three years after he had retired. He died in May 1995 of complications relating from AIDS, having been diagnosed with the disease the previous year.

The film, titled Out At Home: The Glenn Burke Story, is based on Burke’s 1995 autobiography and will be scripted by Ross Katz, the Oscar-nominated producer of Lost In Translation.

Katz will also produce the Burke biopic, Deadline reports, alongside Curtis and a third prodcer, Robert Horowitz.

“With Michael Sam’s brave and bold statement, he joins the trifecta of American sports — Glenn Burke, MLB; Jason Collins, NBA; Michael Sam, NFL — dealing with gay athletes, and forcing open the door permanently,” Curtis said. “Our film will clearly honour the force and the struggle to get there.”

Jason Collins became the first out gay basketball player when he signed a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets last month (February). Michael Sam, a prospect for the next NFL (National Football League) season, had revealed earlier in the month that he is gay.