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Franklin Graham Shows Support For Tampa Bay Rays Players Who Refused To Wear Pride Flag Logos

"I appreciate these Tampa Bay Rays players who said no to endorsing and celebrating sin during Saturday night’s game."

   DailyWire.com
A detail of the Tampa Bay Rays pride burst logo celebrating Pride Month during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Tropicana Field on June 04, 2022 in St Petersburg, Florida.
Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

One evangelical leader is showing his support to a group of Tampa Bay Rays baseball players who chose not to endorse Pride month by refusing to don rainbow-themed logos during a recent game.

President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse CEO Franklin Graham shared his appreciation in a Facebook post on Monday.

“I appreciate these Tampa Bay Rays players who said no to endorsing and celebrating sin during Saturday night’s game. They declined to wear the team’s special multi-colored caps and uniform sleeve decal,” Graham wrote.

After quoting the story from the Tampa Bay Times regarding the decision, Graham stated his support for showing love to all people while standing for biblical convictions.

“Followers of Jesus Christ must love everyone, but also stand with the truth of God’s Word and share that truth with a lost and dying world,” he added.

The Daily Wire reported on Sunday that several Tampa Bay Rays’ players refused to wear “Pride Night” logos during the team’s game against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night, citing religious reasons.

The team added the flags to their logos and were reportedly surprised that not all the players on the team wanted to participate. The clothing changes included a Rays emblems on the jersey sleeve and on each players cap in the colors or the progressive pride flag.

“Pitchers Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs and Ryan Thompson were among those who did not, electing to peel off the burst logo and wear the standard hat,” The Tampa Bay Times reported.

Adam, 30, was chosen by team officials to speak for the players who did not want to be associated with the leftist ideology.

“A lot of it comes down to faith, to like a faith-based decision,” Adam said. “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.”

The incident is not the only recent controversy regarding the Rays. Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis said last week that he plans to veto $35 million designated for the team after the Rays released an anti-Second Amendment statement following recent mass shooting events.

“DeSantis plans to veto a $35 million legislation for a Pasco County facility that’s earmarked for the Tampa Bay Rays’ spring training,” OutKick reported. “DeSantis’s decision is in response to the Rays politicizing recent shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde ahead of a matchup with the Yankees in May.”

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