The Tampa Bay Rays baseball team has been doing its best to be gay, gay, and more gay, but some players are digging in their heels and refusing to wear rainbow-colored logos on their caps and jerseys on “Pride Night” games.
Pitchers Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs and Ryan Thompson were among those electing not to wear symbols supporting homosexuality on their clothing – the baseball team’s attempt to impose its management’s morality on players.
Adam was picked by team officials to speak for the players who opted out, reports the rabidly pro-gray Tampa Bay Times. He said their refusal stemmed from religious belief and, frankly, of not wanting to encourage destructive and sinful behavior. Still, Adam took pains to clarify that the players’ refusal to play ball with “Pride Night” didn’t come from a place of hate or condescension.
“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.”
Rays officials said would have preferred full participation but also felt it was important to give players and staff the choice about visibly supporting people of the same gender having sex with each other. Not exactly an issue inseparably bound up with — baseball.
Except that the Rays seem to think that it is. They were the first pro sports team to sign an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting same-sex marriage and joining a campaign to fight youth “bullying” of gays.
