Anger Over Tampa Bay Rays ‘Homophobic’ Players Who Say Jesus Christ Doesn’t Want Them to ‘Encourage’ LGBTQ ‘Lifestyle’
Five Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball players are being criticized for refusing to wear LGBTQ logos on their official uniforms as the team celebrates LGBTQ Pride Month. “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,” said Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jason Adam, as TMZ reported. “It’s no different,” he claimed, insisting it’s “faith-based,” and “a hard decision.
Because ultimately we all said what we want is them to know that all are welcome and loved here.” Telling a group of people that what they are is a “lifestyle” and a “behavior” led to anger against the team for allowing them to opt out but especially against all five players: Jason Adams, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs, and Ryan Thompson.
The New York Times adds that “by allowing the players to opt out of the promotion — and to use the platform to endorse an opposite viewpoint — the Rays undercut the message of inclusion they were trying to send.
Words like ‘lifestyle’ and ‘behavior’ are widely known tropes often interpreted as a polite cover for condemning gay culture.” The Rays lost to the Chicago White Sox 3-2 Saturday.
