The San Francisco Giants are bad and bigoted. This is not an overarching statement about the organization, but rather a small group of players who took it upon themselves to take an opportunity to grow the game and make it about themselves.
At least three San Francisco Giants players wore anti-LGBTQ bible verses on their hats, while one skipped the processions altogether. Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker hid behind a 2,000-year-old book, while Erik Miller at least stood for something, even if he's on the wrong side of history.
There is no right way to oppose a human's right to live their life, their own way. The irony in MLB players failing to acknowledge that while abusing their own religious rights is not lost on me.
What went wrong with Giants pride night
The Giants released a statement that tried to deflect from the rather obvious disapproval from four players who stood out like a sore thumb. It is their job to protect their players, after all.
Of course, those same four players were perfectly willing to support an illegal military operation in Iran just a few weeks ago, which is why this smells so fishy. When it comes to their own fans' right to exist, marry and receive medical care, Roupp, Brubaker, Walker and Miller have an issue.
Why was it important to write that verse tonight?
— KNBR (@KNBR) June 13, 2026
ROUPP: "The rainbow is a symbol of God's covenant to us, and us as believers stand firm in that... There's no hate at all."
What would say if somebody considered that derogatory toward them as a community?
ROUPP: "As a… https://t.co/jaEs3ikn4U pic.twitter.com/yYOaJ0UvE7
Roupp danced around the question when asked, and certainly didn't address the reality that many LGBTQ fans felt unwelcome thanks to his actions.
There is little that can be done to force any player to support LGBTQ rights. That's just not how this country works. Yet, just as the furious four have a right to voice their displeasure, we have the right to criticize them for it.
This entire flaw in judgement operates under the false assumption that these fans — who came to the ballpark to celebrate this past week — have a choice in their orientation or love interest. That choice is not nearly as simple as the one Roupp, Brubaker, Walker and Miller made to disapprove of a biological factor none of us have any control over.
How the Dodgers set the table for a disappointing pride month for MLB
The Giants will make the most headlines, but they are not alone. The Los Angeles Dodgers hosted their own pride night just last week. Every Dodgers player wore a rainbow hat, minus Blake Treinen. The Dodgers relief pitcher hasn't hid from his views. While he's more than willing to stand behind his flawed judgement, that doesn't make it right.
FanSided's Katrina Stebbins recently wrote about Treinen's faux protest on Dodgers Way. LGBTQ fans must only accept his inaction as a challenge, rather than shying away from the sport they love.
"Players like Treinen, the innumerable others who have and will continue torefuse to wear Pride-themed gear, and trolls online will always make it very clear that we are not welcome at ballparks or in fandom spaces, as if a children's game is something that can be gate-kept. It should not be this hard to simply enjoy a sport and have a hobby, but these people insist on making it so," Stebbins wrote. "Queer fans should take that as a challenge. Clearly, the very simple fact our existences is impossible for these people to accept."
History won't be kind to Giants, Dodgers or MLB
Look, there are conservative and religious beliefs, and then there is going out of your way to throw an entire subset of the population under the bus. I grew up in Georgia — heck, I even attended the first megachurch to have ATMs available for donation. I understand religious preferences and will probably even encourage them for my own child, due in October. My wife wants him baptized. Sounds fine, assuming he doesn't hurt anyone as a result.
What I cannot get behind is excluding any group of people for a lifestyle they did not choose. Again, there is very little evidence the LGBTQ community decided upon their love interests. That's not reality.
These people have been excluded from so many walks of life. That includes far too many churches, mosques and temples. It includes professional sports, where LGBTQ players either don't exist or are afraid to come out because of the consequences.
Add in the current presidential administration, and you can understand why many in this community are living in fear. MLB cannot force its players to support any group of people, but what it's currently lacking (in part thanks to this administration) is conviction and a backbone. We cannot blame professional athletes for their beliefs, but we can and should judge them harshly.
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