NFL
By: Zachary Draves
Growing up as an LGBTQIA+ person in 2023 comes with a mixture of positive change and poignant challenges. Queer people have never been more visible than ever, ascended to tremendous heights of influence, and achieved enormous gains on the public policy front such as the Respect for Marriage Act.
At the same time, there has been an ongoing brutal assault from far-right wing politicians and commentators seeking to marginalize and even criminalize the community, resulting in 650+ anti-LGBTQIA+ bills at all levels of government, dehumanizing rhetoric, and acts of violence and harassment.
Sports have become ground zero in a way with the continued attacks on transgender athletes by these same groups and attacking various sports teams for hosting annual Pride Nights. In stark contrast to sports being a space for all to enjoy.
The latest examples illustrating this disconnect comes from America’s pastime.
Anthony Bass of the Toronto Blue Jays, Trevor Williams of the Washington Nationals, and Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers, all of whom pitchers, have each expressed some form of dismay at the thought of being inclusive of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Again we are in 2023.
On Monday, Bass took to social media and posted a video calling on Christians to boycott companies such as Target and Bud Light for their highly publicized pride campaigns that sparked a vicious backlash from the usual suspects. He apologized before Tuesday evening’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers without taking any questions.
(Courtesy: Getty Images)
“I recognize yesterday that I made a post that was hurtful to the Pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine, and I am truly sorry for that,” he said. “I just spoke with my teammates and shared with them my actions yesterday. I apologized to them and, as of right now, I am using the Blue Jays’ resources to better educate myself to make better decisions moving forward. The ballpark is for everybody. We include all fans at the ballpark and we want to welcome everybody.”
That same day, Williams took his ire against the Los Angeles Dodgers for honoring the non-profit Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence for their Pride Night on June 16. He said on Twitter that he was “deeply troubled by the Dodgers’ decision to re-invite and honor the group” because he claims the group “makes a blatant and deeply offensive mockery of my religion.”
(Courtesy: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con)
The Dodgers originally disinvited them due to backlash by the Catholic League and Florida Senator Marco Rubio. But after meeting with local LGBTQ+ organizations they issued an apology and invited them back. The Sisters are known for performing satirical skits using religious imagery and have raised money for various causes including HIV/AIDS awareness.
Then Kershaw went against his own organization in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. In response to the Dodgers inviting the Sisters back he went to the organization and demanded that they hurried their announcement of the return of “Christian Faith and Family Day”.
(Courtesy: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
He took to twitter to announce that day would return for the first time since 2019 on July 30 against the Cincinnati Reds.
Each of these men have put MLB in a position very similar to Target and Bud Light. The question is whether they will acquiesce, as the latter two companies have, because of a small minority or will they hold firm to the principles of equality?
To the credit of MLB they have made some inroads over the last several years.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
In 2014, they hired former player Billy Bean, who came out as gay in 1999 after his career ended, as the first ever Ambassador for Inclusion. Today, he is the Senior Vice President and Special Assistant to the Commissioner.
In 2016, the league joined forces with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce to support LGBTQIA+ businesses.
They regularly join with other professional sports leagues in supporting GLAAD’s Spirit Day campaign in October, which supports LGBTQIA+ youth who are being bullied.
Twenty nine teams, with the exception of the Texas Rangers, have their own Pride Nights with no issue.
Now that Pride month is here, this is a perfect time for MLB to draw a line in the sand and make it abundantly clear about where they stand. It would be a real shame for them to let all the good work they have done go to waste to please a small group looking to use these instances with these players to further their dangerous agenda.
If that ends up being the case, it is one, two, three strikes you’re out!
