Five Tampa Bay Rays baseball players have refused to wear the gay pride logo on their uniforms because of their religious beliefs.
Major League Baseball pitchers Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs, and Ryan Thompson said they accept everyone and don’t “look down on anybody.”
However, refused to wear the new uniforms Saturday when the team wore rainbow-colored sleeve patches.
“So it’s a hard decision,” Jason Adam said.
“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,” he said.
“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,” he said.
According to TMZ:
“Manager Kevin Cash said the players’ decision had sparked some conversation in the clubhouse, but it doesn’t sound like things have gotten heated … and that the team understands.”
Regardless of your personal beliefs, refusing to wear these uniforms — and being willing to take the inevitable sports media crushing they will get — is far braver than meekly acquiescing. https://t.co/1pQocF22On
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 6, 2022
Today, we wear our #Pride on our sleeves pic.twitter.com/bcOLJNhx6Y
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 4, 2022
Just people showing their #Pride pic.twitter.com/jtdgHJSLOO
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 4, 2022
