Every baseball team in MLB celebrates Pride Month in June in their own way except one squad.
The Texas Rangers last had Pride Night at their home ballpark in 2003, and it received so much backlash they haven’t had it since.
That night in 2003 wasn’t an advertised event like many others across MLB. Several LGBTQ+ groups were invited to the stadium and honored, and protest came quickly.
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Rangers COO Neil Leibman spoke to The Dallas Morning News in 2020, pointing out changes made to the organization that he believes go further than simply having a Pride Night.
"With respect to Pride Night, we reached out to the Resource Center and said, ‘What can we do internally?’ We immediately adopted some changes they suggested to be more inclusive in hiring practices. I think that’s more meaningful than just saying, ‘OK, we had a Pride Night,’" he said.
The Los Angeles Times also requested a statement from the Rangers regarding their lack of Pride Night.
"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," the team responded.
The Rangers made sure to add that they do help support the LGBTQ+ community in various ways, including sponsorship of the NAGAAA Gay Softball World Series last year as well as the "development of an inclusion and community impact council." They also worked with the Resource Center in Dallas as well as the Pegasus Slow-Pitch Softball Association.
The Rangers not hosting a Pride Night contrary to the rest of the league has seen support from its fan base.
"People are tired of having pride themed merchandise and branding shoved in their faces by every company, organization, and sports franchise," a board member of the Texas Family Project wrote.
"People just want to watch baseball. To the vast majority of fans, Rangers’ decision to buck the trend of celebrating sexuality is a breath of fresh air."
Further west, the Los Angeles Dodgers were under much scrutiny after inviting the anti-Catholic satirical protest group, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, to the ballpark for their Pride Night on June 16.
Protesters flooded the streets outside Dodger Stadium, while the team honored the group that cosplays as nuns about an hour before first pitch. The stadium was basically empty for the Friday night contest at that point.
"The Dodgers community hero award goes to an organization reaching the LGBTQ+ community, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, LA chapter," stadium announcer Todd Leitz said. "Please join us in recognizing the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence for their outstanding service to the LGBTQ+ community."
Dodgers pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Blake Treinen were among those in the clubhouse who disapproved of the reinvitation to the group, while many others around the league, including Washington Nationals starter Trevor Williams, also didn’t like the honoring.
The Rangers continue to focus on baseball in 2023, and they’re doing quite well on the diamond. They own the American League’s second-best record at 43-27, which is good for first place in the AL West at the moment.
