Several Tampa Bay Ray 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.
“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.”
“It’s not judgmental. It’s not looking down,” he continued. “It’s just what we believe the lifestyle he’s encouraged us to live, for our good, not to withhold. But again, we love these men and women, we care about them, and we want them to feel safe and welcome here.”
The news comes after Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed $35 million that were earmarked for the Tampa Bay Rays after the team released an anti-Second Amendment statement.
The decision comes after the Rays published a statement last week saying that the tragedies “have shaken us to the core.”
“This cannot become normal. We cannot become numb. We cannot look the other way,” the statement said. “We all know, if nothing changes, nothing changes.”
The organization added that it was donating tens of thousands of dollars to far-left anti-Second Amendment organizations.
“The Rays organization stands committed to actionable change and has made a $50,000 commitment to Everytown for Gun Safety’s Support Fund,” the statement said.
“Everytown is the largest gun violence prevention organization in America. Rather than our usual game coverage on social media tonight, we’ve partnered with Everytown to amplify facts about gun violence in America.”
The expected move by DeSantis comes after he signed into law back in April a bill that stripped Walt Disney Co. from being able to govern the land where the Disney World theme park is located.
The action by DeSantis came after Disney opposed a bill, the “Parental Rights in Education Act,” that DeSantis signed into law earlier this year that returns power to parents to determine when and how their children should learn about sexual topics in school.
“I’m just not comfortable having that type of agenda get special treatment in my state,” DeSantis said about ending Disney’s special tax privileges in the state.
The bill eliminates the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which exempts Disney from numerous regulations and taxes and fees, and reportedly saves the company tens of millions of dollars per year.
Disney’s ability to govern the area was created when the Reedy Creek Improvement Act was signed into law in May 1967. The local government did not have the resources needed to help bring Disney’s 25,000 acre plan to fruition, so the Reedy Creek Improvement District was established to give Disney the same authority as a county-level government.