By Dr. David Smith
As has been consistent in the last years, this June many professional sports teams are hosting Pride theme games and events to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. As is also consistent in the last years, there is pushback from athletes wearing Pride themed jerseys for their team’s Pride Night games. In 2026 this started with players on the Giants refusing to wear the jerseys and writing Bible verses on their baseball caps. It is continuing to escalate with the Revolution cancelling their Pride Night altogether and just playing the game as a regular in season game. It’s hardly new as the NHL recently navigated this issue of trying to balance support for the LGBTQ+ community but seeing the resistance within their own internal structure. As a vehement supporter of LGBTQ+ representation and rights in sport, I get it. I understand the resistance and feel that these player’s feelings and protest is perfectly valid. After all, despite all these Pride Night games and events, how many openly LGBTQ+ people currently play and work for the MLB? Zero!
The issue goes deeper than just a bunch of players refusing to wear the jersey. It highlights a much deeper internal shortcoming within the culture of the MLB and their teams (including minor league). After all, these players are being asked to wear this jersey and celebrate LGBTQ+ pride, but it’s clear there is very little to know education or development on “why” Pride matters and “why” this representation is important. Pride Nights are a superficial display to help teams celebrate and represent their LGBTQ+ fans, but within the team culture itself, Pride Night is more about the LGBTQ+ players, coaches, and other members of the team itself that are invisible.
Sport has long been hostile and unsafe to be openly LGBTQ+ and continues to be to this day. There are LGBTQ+ playing and working within these sports teams and leagues at this very moment who are conflicted with maintaining their career or living authentically, unable to reconcile two identities at odds with each other. When it comes to “Pride Night”, it’s not about jerseys or ostentatious displays of rainbows for the fans (although I do low a show), it’s about helping a fellow teammate, coach, towel boy, and anybody else on that team feel like they can be who they are while doing what they love.
So, forget about the jerseys, the real “Pride Night” needs to start with helping shift the team culture and standard of expectation toward celebrating inclusion and diversity within the organization itself. Helping everybody within the team that “Pride” isn’t a matter of wearing a jersey, but understanding that being a true champion starts with support and acceptance of your teammates, coaches, and everybody else for who they are. Creating a space within the team where “coming out” isn’t an event and freeing from the stress and drama of having to decide between your career and being yourself. Fostering an inclusive and empowering motivational climate liberates everybody on the team from the judgement and stress, celebrate each other, and express the best of who they are through their performance. Only when this is achieve can a sport team’s “Pride Night” truly embody what pride is all about.
Photo Credit: SounderBruce via Wikimedia Commons
stonewallperformance.com 
