An openly gay professional baseball player speaks out following the decision by a number of Tampa Bay Rays players not to wear rainbow-colored logos on their uniforms for ‘Pride Night’ in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Bryan Ruby, an athlete and musician who came out publicly as gay last year, recently told USA Today that the behavior displayed “sends a very clear message” that “LGBTQ people are not welcome here.”
“A lot of guys just don’t understand that they’ve always had, and will continue to have, gay teammates. Such outdated language and behavior actively hurts the team. It’s hard enough being gay in baseball,” Ruby said.
Rays pitchers Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs and Ryan Thompson were among the players who opted out of wearing the rainbow-colored patches, with Adam citing the reasoning as a “decision based on the faith “.
“It’s just what we believe the lifestyle that he (Jesus) encouraged us to live, for our good, not to hold back,” Adam previously told the Tampa Bay Times. “But again, we love these men and women, we care about them and we want them to feel safe and welcome here. »
Ruby noted, however, that the meaning behind the message can be interpreted as the opposite.
“It always baffles me when guys use Jesus as an excuse to discriminate,” Ruby said, later adding, “It’s not about religion. It’s about being a good teammate. When guys go out of their way to oppose Pride Night, they send a clear message that people like me are just not welcome in baseball. It’s a reminder that even on the night we get to be proud of ourselves at the ballpark, we’re still second-class citizens. It’s that simple. »
Ruby, who helped start the non-profit LGBTQ+ support group Proud To Be In Baseball, added that the situation sends a troubling message that players may not be able to be themselves with such a lack of support.
“When your teammates go out of their way to indicate that they don’t accept you, it can be absolutely overwhelming, and obviously very difficult to dress and play well,” said Ruby, who played last year for the Salem-Keizer volcanoes. of the Mavericks Independent Baseball League. “What does that say to all the young minor leaguers who dream of one day having a chance in the major leagues? That once there, you can live your dream but only at the cost of hiding your authentic self from the world? It’s both sad and infuriating to know that most other guys like me are relegated to walking on eggshells in the shadow of a culture that is still eerily reminiscent of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” world. not “which we’re supposed to have left over a decade ago.”
In addition to Ruby, Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty also tore the Rays apart amid growing controversy.
Elsewhere, Nick Anderson of the Rays offered a message of support to his teammates, tweeting, “It’s amazing to me how people don’t understand that different beliefs exist. And because you have different beliefs, that in no way means that you despise this individual or think that they are inferior. You can like everyone and have different beliefs.
Anderson posted a longer message on Monday after his initial tweet.
“When I say different beliefs, I’m talking about people who believe everyone should wear something and if you don’t you should burn up and be a terrible person or whatever you want to call them. I was also saying that just because you might not be wearing a so-called patch doesn’t mean you think these people should burn and they’re terrible people. Come on everyone,” he wrote.
