(LifeSiteNews) — Five Tampa Bay Rays pitchers declined to wear rainbow-themed insignias on their hats and jerseys during the team’s “Pride Night” celebration on Saturday, citing their Christian faith.
The five pitchers — Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs, and Ryan Thompson — took a stand against the pressure being exerted within all major league sports to “celebrate” and “welcome” sodomy and gender confusion during the month of June.
Today, we wear our #Pride on our sleeves pic.twitter.com/bcOLJNhx6Y
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 4, 2022
Rays management went so far as to post the team’s starting lineup in the colors of the gay rainbow flag and the pastel-hued trans flag just before the start of Saturday’s game.
We line up with a little extra #Pride tonight pic.twitter.com/mjGZqTPEIX
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 4, 2022
Adams said the reason for declining the homosexual- and trans-themed emblems came down to faith.
“So, it’s a hard decision. Because ultimately, we all said what we want is them to know that all are welcome and loved here,” explained Adams to the Tampa Bay Times.
But when we put it on our bodies, I think a lot of guys decided that it’s just a lifestyle that maybe — not that they look down on anybody or think differently — it’s just that maybe we don’t want to encourage it if we believe in Jesus, who’s encouraged us to live a lifestyle that would abstain from that behavior, just like (Jesus) encourages me as a heterosexual male to abstain from sex outside of the confines of marriage. It’s no different.
It’s not judgmental. It’s not looking down. It’s just what we believe the lifestyle he’s encouraged us to live, for our good, not to withhold. But again, we love these men and women, we care about them, and we want them to feel safe and welcome here.
Over the last few years, Major League Baseball (MLB) and every other professional sports league have promoted “LGBTQIA+ Pride” nights and supported LGBTQ causes, including showcasing a “marriage” proposal between two homosexuals in front of a stadium packed with families.
And in 2020 during the height of violent and destructive Black Lives Matter rioting in major cities across the U.S., hundreds of professional ballplayers surrendered themselves to the abhorrent BLM ideology by taking a knee before the start of their games.
By bending their knees, the men have paid homage not to civil rights, but to Marxism; to the destruction of the nuclear family; to transgender and homosexual political power squashing not just religious liberty, but religion itself; to the defunding of police; and to the erasure of western history and culture.
At a time of global instability, nuclear tensions and war in Europe, the US Armed Forces have embarrassed themselves by taking a time-out to promote "Pride Month" among the watching world.
This wrongheaded preoccupation with the LGBT ideology across society is weakening our country in a number of ways, not least as it undermines the bedrock of society - the family.
It's time to tell the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, that we have had enough LGBT propaganda in the armed forces.
SIGN the petition - remind the Secretary of Defense that "Pride Month" only makes us weaker.
Marking the start of Gay Pride Month this week, the US Marines tweeted an image of a military helmet with 6 bullets in LGBT rainbow colors and the words "ready to serve" written on it.
Many responses highlighted the foolishness of an army, who wish to be feared, promoting such ideologies.
— The Right To Bear Memes (@grandoldmemes) June 1, 2022
— Betio Bn (@leatherneck266) June 2, 2022
This comparison of recruitment videos from the Chinese, Russian and US armies shows how the LGBT ideology has infiltrated our country and taken military focus away from strength on the battlefield.
How can the U.S. be respected as a super-power by our enemies if we continue to make our armed forces more effeminate, being prouder of the rainbow flag than the Stars and Stripes?
The woke agenda of normalizing LGBT behaviors among children, adults and the armed forces is a war on reality, as more and more young people find themselves confused about their gender, their attractions, and even what the purpose of sex is.
Our Air Force's success has literally nothing to do with the subjective sense of sexual fulfillment of its members https://t.co/00D99yQY2p
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 1, 2022
To understand how pervasive the LGBT ideology is, consider this: only 1.3% of those born before 1946 identified as LGBT in March 2021, compared to a whopping 15% of young people born between 1997-2002.
Mainstream media, educational institutions, politicians, and even some of the armed forces are conditioning the public to believe this is normal and healthy - it's not.
While all people must be respected, not all behaviors should be celebrated or condoned, lest society become decadent, degenerate and too selfish to make sacrifices.
SIGN the petition to remind the Secretary of Defense that he serves the Stars and Stripes, not the rainbow flag.
The need for virtue both in society and the armed forces is great, in order to strengthen this country's ability to choose what is good and defend it.
In choosing to promote sexual behaviors and gender identities that are not based in nature, the armed forces have chosen vice instead of virtue.
Promoting the sexual revolution and other fashionable trends will have consequences, one of them being the decline of true and good men and women willing to stand by their families, their country and their flag during times of hardship.
Tell the Secretary of Defense that time-tested values matter, and the LGBT ideology should not be promoted.
Thank you for taking the time to sign our petition.
MORE INFORMATION:
US military using diversity panels and all-gay helicopter crew - LifeSiteNews
Woke corporations push Pride, except in Middle East - LifeSiteNews
Biden adds "Intersex" to Pride Month proclamation - LifeSiteNews
**Photo: Travis Akers' Twitter photo of all-gay helicopter crew**
By choosing to peel off the rainbow burst logo from their jerseys and wear the standard team hat, the five pitchers have calmly and firmly taken a manly stand against the unbridled advancement of an ideology antithetical to Christianity.
