I have been struggling to articulate my feelings about what took place at the San Francisco Giants’ Pride Night all week. There’s a lot to say, and a lot of things have already been said. But every time I’ve tried to sit down to write this post, the words have stubbornly refused to come until now.
I used to think that people were reasonable and decent, on the whole. Or at least were capable of being so. I used to think that if I worded my point exactly right, and in a respectful, compelling and logical manner, that I could maybe help to combat some of the hatred and bigotry in this world.
Because surely, it must be based in ignorance, right? And if they knew better, people would want to be better. Surely if they understood the harm that they were causing, they would care and change.
It’s a punch to the gut to realize that actually, a lot of people do understand and they just choose to be hateful and cruel anyway.
And I guess that’s kind of what I’m struggling with at the moment. It leaves me feeling like there isn’t a point to my craft. That nothing I have to say matters when a lot of people would rather shove their thumbs in their ears and pretend like there isn’t a problem. It’s demoralizing.
But I’d be just as much of a coward as those people if I let that silence me, so I will not.
What I want to say is that the players who chose to write bible verses on their Pride Night hats last week knew exactly what they were doing. MLB players are not required to wear the Pride uniforms. Participation is optional.
Which means that Landen Roupp and his band of bigoted buffoons intentionally opted IN to wearing the hats when they absolutely did not have to. And they did so with the full intention of being antagonistic towards a marginalized community in a declaration of bigotry to signal to like-minded people.
Ryan Walker said that his intention was to spread his religious beliefs and get more people to read the bible. Why exactly did these players feel like Pride Night was the appropriate time to proselytize? I mean, I know the answer to that. But I’d like to hear them say it with their full chests.
Because it’s not about Christianity or believing in God. The Giants have faith-focused events at Oracle Park every season. They are not excluded. If the players wanted to preach the good word as they understand it, that would be a perfectly appropriate time to do so.
But it wasn’t about that, of course. Faith is often used as a blank check for (poorly) coded-bigotry without consequences. It’s the same way that people like to use the concept of “freedom of speech” to insist that they get to say whatever they want and no one is allowed to do anything about it.
Which is, of course, not how that works.
Freedom of speech doesn’t protect you from personal or professional consequences of being a jerk. Sure, the government can’t arrest you for it, but if people no longer want to associate with you, support you, or maybe even employ you, well…those are consequences of choices.
Choices like having the option to not participate in Pride Night, but choosing to do so anyway just to let people know that you are homophobic. And choices like being someone within the organization that has the power to do something about it and choosing not to. Sure, you’re free to make those choices, but you don’t get a pass from the consequences of them.
So with those things in mind, I cannot help but come to the conclusion that bigotry and cruelty were the point.
And given the fact that the organization has not adequately addressed the situation or made any actual attempt to make amends for the harm that their players caused, I cannot help but come to the conclusion that anyone inside of the organization with the power to do anything about it quietly agrees with them.
The Giants could prove me wrong immediately by holding the players accountable, hosting educational events for players, making donations to local LGBTQIA+ charities, and declaring their unwavering support for all members of the Giants community.
But they have not thus far.
Which implies that the organization is rotting from the top. And I think it’s time to clean house.