MLB to Strengthen Anti-Discrimination Policy

Major League Baseball has announced its policy preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation will soon be enhanced, reports the Associated Press.

Changes to the MLB non-discrimination policy, which were originally adopted in 2011 during labor negotiation, will be announced Tuesday before the All-Star Game scheduled to take place at Citi Field in New York. MLB commissioner Bud Selig, MLB Players Association executive director Michael Weiner, and New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman announced the efforts on Tuesday.

The enhanced policy will put into practice a new code of conduct which will be distributed to both major and minor league players, as well as introduce education and training programs geared towards ending discrimination within the MLB. Additionally, the policy will clearly outline new guidelines for both reporting and dealing with discrimination and harassment.

Currently, the MLB does not have any active openly gay athletes, but both gay players and team owners have openly discussed their homosexuality after leaving the sport. Billy Bean publically acknowledged he was gay during an interview with Diane Sawyer in 1999. Since then he's gone on to partner with rugby-turned-antibullying advocate Ben Cohen as the vice chairman of The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation. Additionally, former Pittsburgh Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy came out of the closet in 2013 as well.