When several Tampa Bay Rays players refused to wear rainbow-decorated uniforms for the baseball team’s Pride Night on Saturday, openly gay professional baseball player Bryan Ruby called them out for their foul behavior.
“Discrimination and hate has a voice in baseball,” Ruby said, “and you saw it in Tampa.”
Ruby, who plays baseball for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, came out as gay in 2021, making him the only out baseball player who is currently on a professional team. (The Volcanoes, although professional, are not currently affiliated with any major or minor league baseball organization. They are, however, ranked higher than Tiktok superstars Savannah Bananas.)
“A lot of guys just don’t get that they’ve always had, and will continue to have, gay teammates,” Ruby told USA Today. “Such antiquated language and behavior actively hurts the team. It’s hard enough to be gay in baseball.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
View this post on Instagram
Major league baseball teams celebrate “pride nights” by giving baseball players special uniforms with small rainbow embellishments, such as patches and hats, to wear during a game. But at Saturday’s game in Tampa, five of the Rays’ players refused to wear the Pride Night uniforms, and they issued a statement saying that they had nothing against gay and trans people, but they could not participate because of their religious faith.
Rays pitcher Jason Adam, one of the five protesting players, spoke to the media on behalf of the group, saying “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.”
Ruby wasn’t having it. “It always baffles me when guys use Jesus as their excuse to discriminate,” he said. “This isn’t about religion. This is about being a good teammate. When guys go out of their way to make a point of opposing Pride Night, they’re sending a clear message that people like me just aren’t welcome in baseball.”
Several major league players also voiced criticisms of the anti-pride players. Kevin Kiermaier, who also plays for the Rays, told Tampa Bay Times that his protesting teammates needed to lighten up.
“My parents taught me to love everyone as they are, go live your life, whatever your preferences are, go be you,” Kiermaier said. “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 … We just want everyone to feel welcomed and included and cheer us on. No matter what your views on anything are.”
Ruby helped create the advocacy organization Proud To Be In Baseball. It should also be noted that Mr. Ruby is also an aspiring country music singer, and he wrote the song “Left Field.”
dario717
The Rays pitchers look very small.
jt1990
Possibly why he doesn’t play a man’s sport, like football or basketball. Those require more athleticism and are way more fun to play or watch. Baseball is dying out, and the media coverage of these exaggerated “hate” claims probably attracts more viewers than the games these days. No offense to baseball fans, but this sport makes me sleepier than Joe Biden at a UN conference!
Kangol2
@dario717, they do.
@jt, people have predicted or announced the death of baseball in print at least 100 times from the early 20th century through 2019. You clearly have never played baseball or been around baseball players, but if you think it doesn’t require tremendous “athleticism,” you have no clue. That makes me think you probably couldn’t throw a baseball from home plate to any of the bases or the outfield, or vice versa. Can you? Anyways, go back to defending homophobes. That’s clearly your sport of choice.
Jim
We all know what Jesus said about homosexuality. And if you don’t I’ll quote.
strap2900
Well, the fictional character Jesus, said nothing about homosexuality in that big book of fairy tales called the Bible.
johncp56
Ditto, those little boys need to grow up, hiding behind the tax free cults
Brian
Jesus was a real person. Some scholars think there were actually two or more Jews teaching around the same time, and their lives were combined to make a more focused story. Much of the Bible is real history – kings, emperors, etc.
But of course, he never walked on water because that’s impossible. Mary had sex, obviously, because all humans have two sets of chromosomes. The Bible is littered with lies. It’s a crap excuse for bigotry.
Doug
Florida again.
GayEGO
More bigots squawking, you would hope they would smarten up and learn like most people in America have!
johncp56
I saw the story this week Sports still has a long way to go!!! moronic Religious beliefs as excuses is hateful and lame, those little boys need to grow up, and stop hiding behind tax free cults