Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is under fire after comments he made on Pride Nights across the league.
Pride Nights and Pride Weekends are done to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and hope to provide and foster a safe environment for them. Oftentimes, they’re well-received events by the teams and communities. Conservative opponents have disagreed, and lately, across the sports world, there have been instances where teams have opted out. The Texas Rangers recently were called out for being the only MLB team not to host a Pride Night this season.
Almost inexplicably, when Manfred spoke about letting teams choose whether to host Pride Night events versus standardizing them across the league, he had this to say. Per Chelsea James, Manfred said, “We have told teams, in terms of actual uniforms, hats, bases, that we don’t think putting logos on them is a good idea just because of the desire to protect players. Not putting them in a position of doing something that may make them uncomfortable because of their personal views.”
This statement is entirely too loud for its own good and, as a result, is uncomfortable to read. While performative activism has its issues, the simple fact is human rights are at stake in this conversation. That should supersede everything, and a mere logo on a T-shirt, cap, or base causing outrage to that degree is gratuitous, which might put it mildly.
Fans absolutely blasted Rob Manfred for his LGBTQ Pride Night comments, with some ranging from pointing out hypocrisy to straight-up anger.
Protecting players from rainbows should be our #1 priority as human beans. https://t.co/4Fcfqmk6aX
— Baseball GIFs (@gifs_baseball) June 15, 2023
Does this also apply to the endless pro-military propaganda in baseball? https://t.co/ynmh7AWbDo
— Nicolas Gonzalez
(@NicoSGonzalez) June 15, 2023
extra love the Giants for this. https://t.co/Gki6Me1XN1 pic.twitter.com/mNrgVNkPia
— Rachael (@Rachael_With2As) June 15, 2023
He is the absolute worst https://t.co/aK5kW7VQHt
— ellen teapot
(@asmallteapot) June 15, 2023
Protect players from what? Rainbows are really that scary? https://t.co/U0aDgXfAtE
— Trav (@Travis_LFGM) June 15, 2023