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29 teams in the MLB host Pride Nights at some point during the regular season. The Texas Rangers, for one reason or another, are the only one that doesn't, despite consistent encouragement to do so. Well, it appears countless employees of the organization, some who identify as LGBTQ+ and others who don't, find it rather disturbing that the franchise refuses to recognize the community.
Via The Athletic:
“It’s ironic because we just played the Rays on their (Pride Day) and the whole message was ‘Baseball is for Everyone,’” said one current Rangers employee. “But not if you’re a Texas Rangers fan.”
“I grew up here, I’m a diehard Rangers fan,” said another current employee. “When I started working here, it was a dream job. But it’s pretty s—– that it’s an organization over the last few years that has done or said things, or not done or said things, that not only do I not agree with or not reflect who I want to be as a person, but it’s bordering on being disgusting.”
“(The silence) is deafening,” said a former employee who was with the organization for roughly a decade. “The fact of the matter is it’s a free marketing opportunity, it doesn’t cost them anything personally and they can boost revenue by looking inclusive. The fact that there hasn’t been one (for Texas), is the biggest ‘actions speak louder than words’ I’ve ever seen.”
The Rangers explained why they've decided to not host a Pride Night, releasing this statement recently:
“Our commitment is to make everyone feel welcome and included in Rangers baseball. That means in our ballpark, at every game, and in all we do – for both our fans and our employees. We deliver on that promise across our many programs to have a positive impact across our entire community.”
So basically, the Rangers believe everyone should be welcome to come watch games, no matter how they identify. But, it's still a bad look for the organization when every other team in the big leagues recognizes the LGBTQ+ community.
Given how their employees are feeling, perhaps a change will be coming in the future.
