The York Revolution, a minor league baseball team, chose to forfeit their game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on Thursday after players refused to wear uniforms featuring a rainbow design for the team’s 11th Annual Pride Night.

Team Decision

According to team president and GM Ben Shipley, less than nine players were willing to wear the special jerseys, which led to an unprecedented team meeting. Despite efforts to persuade the players, they remained unwilling to wear the uniforms.

Shipley expressed disappointment, stating that he was seeking tolerance from the team, but they were unwilling to navigate the issue. The team decided that hosting the event was more important than forcing players to wear jerseys they were not comfortable with.

Other Pride Night events, including music, fan batting practice, and on-the-field activities, will still take place as scheduled, free of charge, at the ballpark.

Context

This incident comes less than a week after four players with the MLB San Francisco Giants staged a silent protest against the team’s Pride Night celebration by writing Bible references on their hats. The Revolution’s decision to forfeit the game highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the celebration of LGBTQ+ rights in sports.

Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.