NFL
By: Zachary Draves
Sports prides itself on being a space of inclusiveness. An area of commonality where all are welcomed to relish in the anticipated thrill of victory or agony of defeat. Apparently that message was lost in the locker room of the Tampa Bay Rays.
The team hosted their 16th annual Pride Night against the Chicago White Sox in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month. Most of the players came out onto the field with a rainbow flag emblem stitched to their caps and uniforms with the exception of five.
Pitchers Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs and Ryan Thompson all declined to wear the rainbow patch on the grounds of religion. Their “faith based decision” was rooted in an all too common sentiment uttered by some religious people to cloud their true feelings towards the LGBTQ+ community. They always say they “hate the sin but love the sinner” but when one reads between the lines, there is something much more malicious at play.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Adam gave the following explanation:
“A lot of it comes down to faith, to like a faith-based decision. 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”
There is plenty wrong with all of that but probably the most disgusting is the use of the words “lifestyle” and “behavior”. Throughout the years, bigots have said those words as a means to marginalize and even criminalize the LGBTQ+ community by declaring it as a “choice” or in the context of “behavior” something that is a mental disorder or criminal.
The fact of the matter is being LGBTQ+ is not a “lifestyle” or a “behavior”. It’s simply who people are. All the major medical and psychological organizations have conclusively said so. So to see adults recapitulate some of these old pathologized tropes without any research in the technological age we are in, is to say the least mind boggling. It’s also sending the clear message that LGBTQ+ people are not welcomed.
At the same time, there were some positives that came out of this such as outfielder Kevin Kiermaier who summed it so well.
“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. 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 ” he said.” “We just want everyone to feel welcomed and included and cheer us on. No matter what your views on anything are.”
Now it would be naïve to think that this simply a micro level issue that can only be solved with changes in individual attitudes.
MLB bobbled a routine grounder in the sense that they could have set the context from the beginning. It is not enough for the league and its teams to don rainbow patches, change their logo to rainbow, and host Pride Nights. Although they are done with good intentions, MLB has been largely silent given the recent surge in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in various states, including Florida with its Don’t Say Gay bill and its ban on transgender women and girls competing in sports.
Gov. Ron Desantis is also hinting at signing into law legislation that bans gender affirming medical care, which all leading medical groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics confirm is evidence based and lifesaving health care.
Where is MLB standing behind the plate calling balls and strikes?
To their credit, the league has partnered with organizations such as the National LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce on supporting LGBTQ+ buisnesses. They also hired former player Billy Bean, who came out as gay in 1999, as their inclusion ambassador in 2014 to help foster an inclusive and welcoming environment in the game. All of which is necessary and good but the league needs to step up to the plate on the public policy front.
Here is a final word to these five Tampa Bay players.
At the end of the day, LGBTQ+ should be allowed to live their truth and be who they are without the threat of bullying, violence, harassment, and discrimination. The idea that in 2022 we have to continue saying this just shows how much more work needs to be done.
