On Saturday night, some Tampa Bay Ray players refused to wear pride night logos during the team’s game against the Chicago White Sox.
The Tampa Bay Rays held their 16th annual Pride Night on June 4, with players wearing uniforms with rainbow-colored pride flag-style emblems in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.
Most Major League Baseball teams acknowledge Pride Month in some way, with the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays including drag queens as part of their celebrations. Tampa Bay was more muted, simply having its players wear rainbow logos on caps and sleeves for its game against the Chicago White Sox.
However, not every athlete wore the logos on their caps and clothes.
Five of them stated that their choice was based on their religious convictions, with one player speaking on behalf of the other four. Others who wore the Pride Night uniforms have also expressed their support.
The Tampa Bay Times reports:
The team discovered that not all of the players wanted to participate. Although no exact numbers were given, it looked that well over half of the players took part. Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs, and Ryan Thompson were among the pitchers who chose to remove the burst logo and wear the normal hat instead.
According to the Times, Adam represented the group of five persons and said:
“A lot of it comes down to faith, to like a faith-based decision,” Adam said. “So it’s a hard decision. Because ultimately we all said what we want is them to know that all are welcome and loved here. But when we put it on our bodies, I think a lot of guys decided that it’s just a lifestyle that maybe — not that they look down on anybody or think differently — it’s just that maybe we don’t want to encourage it if we believe in Jesus, who’s encouraged us to live a lifestyle that would abstain from that behavior, just like (Jesus) encourages me as a heterosexual male to abstain from sex outside of the confines of marriage. It’s no different.
“It’s not judgmental. It’s not looking down. It’s just what we believe the lifestyle he’s encouraged us to live, for our good, not to withhold. But again, we love these men and women, we care about them, and we want them to feel safe and welcome here.”
“It’s one of those things, my parents taught me to love everyone as they are, go live your life, whatever your preferences are, go be you,” Kiermaier said. “I can’t speak for everyone who’s in here, obviously, but this is a family-friendly environment here at a big-league ball field. … We just want everyone to feel welcomed and included and cheer us on. No matter what your views on anything are.” He added.
Sources: Dailywire, People, Miamiherald