SMELLS LIKE MEAN SPIRIT

At Least 5 Tampa Bay Rays Players Opt Out of Wearing Pride Week Logo

Jason Adam, who spoke on behalf of some of the players that declined to wear the rainbow logo, called the decision “faith-based.”

As the Tampa Bay Rays celebrated their 16th Pride Night on Saturday, at least five players opted out of adding rainbow logos to their uniforms. Though the team didn’t provide a list of players who donned caps and t-shorts with a colorful logo, it appeared that well over half of team members chose to do so. Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs, and Ryan Thompson were among those that didn’t, with Adam speaking on their behalf and calling it a “faith-based decision.” He emphasized that they love all Rays fans, but said that an LGBTQ+ “lifestyle” is not one they want to “encourage if we believe in Jesus,” likening the decision to opposing to having sex outside of marriage. (Anti-discrimination groups and medical experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Psychological Association, have repeatedly explained why it’s not a “choice” or a “lifestyle” to be LGBTQ+.) Jake Flaherty, a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, described the decision as “an absolute joke” on Twitter.