A number of Major League Baseball players have refused to wear a logo on their uniforms honouring LGBTQ+ pride month.
The Tampa Bay Rays celebrated their 16th Pride Night with their uniform transformed with rainbow-patterned logos on their hats and uniforms to mark the occasion.
Rays President Matt Silverman said the event allowed the team to 'extend an invitation' to the LGBTQ+ community, assuring they are 'invited, welcomed and celebrated'.
However, five members of the team chose not to take part in wearing the logos.
Today, we wear our #Pride on our sleeves pic.twitter.com/bcOLJNhx6Y
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 4, 2022
The players in question were Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brook Raley, Jeffrey Springs, and Ryan Thompson who chose to wear the standard uniform at their home game on Saturday (June 4).
More than half of the players participated in the celebrations, however, those who didn’t put it down to going against their religious beliefs, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Jason Adam told the Tampa Bay Times: “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."
Just people showing their #Pride pic.twitter.com/jtdgHJSLOO
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 4, 2022
Adam assured the decision wasn’t a ‘judgemental’ one and that they still wanted people from the community to feel ‘safe and welcome’ at the club and stadium.
Kevin Cash, manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, claimed the differing opinions between players did not create any division.
"I think what it has created is, like, what you’ve heard — a lot of conversation and valuing the different perspectives inside the clubhouse but really appreciating the community that we’re trying to support here," he said.
As well as celebrating Pride Night, the Rays have shown their support for the LGBTQ+ community by signing a brief to the US Supreme Court in favour of same-sex marriage and joining the 'It Gets Better' campaign to fight bullying among young people.
