All but one Major League Baseball team will celebrate Pride Night this season as a show of support for LGBTQ+ fans.
MLB has been a leader among the four major pro U.S. sports in hosting Pride Nights, in part because its regular season overlaps with Pride Month in June. Twenty-nine teams are set to welcome LGBTQ+ fans for designated games this season.
Many adopt rainbow-colored uniforms patches or logos, set up special signage around ballparks and invite guests including community leaders and drag performers. This year, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., threw out a ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals' Pride game.
The Texas Rangers are the only franchise that does not host a Pride Night. The team said in a statement to The Associated Press that it is committed to making everyone feel welcome and included, and “that means in our ballpark, at every game, and in all we do — for both our fans and our employees."
Pride Nights have drawn some push back in recent years in baseball and beyond, chiefly from those who oppose LGBTQ+ inclusivity on religious grounds. Several NHL players opted out of wearing rainbow-colored jerseys on their teams' Pride Nights earlier this season, and baseball has also had some players refuse to participate and speak out against specific elements of the celebrations.
This year, the Los Angeles Dodgers have faced criticism for including the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in the team’s upcoming 10th annual Pride Night. Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw disagreed with the decision but said his objection was based on the Sisters’ satirical portrayal of religious figures and had nothing to do with LGBTQ+ support. Washington pitcher Trevor Williams said he was deeply troubled by the team’s move, decrying what he felt was the group’s mockery of his Catholic religion.
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