Dodgers Face Giants Wearing Pride Baseball Caps Supporting LGBT in Historic First
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The LA Dodgers faced off against the San Francisco Giants Saturday night, both teams wearing pride baseball caps supporting LGBT+ rights in a historic first.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants may be old rivals on the baseball diamond, but they came together for a historic moment during Saturday’s game at Oracle Park.
They became the first Major League Baseball teams ever to wear Pride caps in support of the LGBTQ+ community in the same game.
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Per MLB.com’s Sonja Chen, the Giants were the first MLB team to incorporate Pride colors into their uniforms during the 2021 season. They used a “SF” logo Pride patch, as well as a hat that incorporated Pride colors into the logo.
“We’re really looking forward to partnering with the Dodgers on this, and really coming together and emphasizing that it’s not enough to kind of reluctantly accept any community,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “It’s really important that everybody feels wanted and appreciated, and that is absolutely true for the LGBTQ+ community.”
The Dodgers held their ninth annual LGBTQ+ Night at Dodger Stadium on June 3 against the New York Mets.
This gesture between the Dodgers and Giants is a positive sign for MLB amid recent criticism about the Tampa Bay Rays’ handling of Pride Night on June 4.
Five Rays pitchers chose not to wear the Pride colors on their uniforms during a game against the Chicago White Sox.
Jason Adam, who was chosen by the organization to speak on behalf of the players who didn’t join the celebration, attempted to justify the decision when speaking to reporters:
“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.”
Bryan Ruby, an out professional baseball player, told USA Today‘s Scott Gleeson that the stance by Rays players “sends a very clear message, and that message is: LGBTQ people are not welcome here.”
June is officially Pride Month, and sports leagues around the world participate in the celebration to make LGBTQ+ fans feel welcome.
Per Ken Schultz of Outsports, 28 MLB teams have at least one Pride Night celebration scheduled for games at their stadiums in the month of June.
