One of the great things about sports, until recently, has been its ability to unite people.
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What would these writers say if Donald Trump bought a professional sports team and told his players they should wear a pro-life logo (perhaps a picture of a child in utero) on their uniform? Would they still be against allowing players to "opt out"? AJ Gonzalez at agrees, arguing that allowing the players to "opt out of this choice is an ugly one." They should be careful what they wish for. Kepner says that "the players should have been expected to reflect" the position of the team by wearing the special uniforms. Larry Kramer, the gay guru, once called the gay lifestyle a "death style." That alone is worthy of discussion.
Tyler Kepner, writing in the New York Times, opines that "Words like 'lifestyle' and 'behavior' are widely known tropes often interpreted as a polite cover to condemning gay culture." He is to be commended for acknowledging the fact that a gay culture exists - that is what the baseball players were objecting to - but he is remiss in not telling us more about it. Moreover, they have a First Amendment right to exercise their freedom speech and their freedom of religion. Homosexuality is conduct, a behavior that Christians and others believe to be sinful, if not repulsive. Besides, does he really believe that Pride Month is nothing more than a recognition of the mere existence of homosexuals?ĭavid Hill at said that "Calling homosexuality a choice is a horrendous perspective." Similarly, Sam Fels, writing for, said that to "talk about homosexuality as a 'lifestyle,' or 'choice,''' means "you don't get it."īoth Hill and Fels are correct to acknowledge that Pride Month is really about homosexuality, not about being gay. They were immediately branded as "bigoted" by ESPN-commentator Sarah Spain and many others.Ĭyd Zeigler, writing for, also objected, saying, "Being gay is not a 'lifestyle.'" Technically this is true, but what the players were objecting to was precisely the "lifestyle," not the status of a person who happens to be gay. Recently, five Tampa Bay Rays players refused to wear the gay pride rainbow logo on their uniforms, citing religious objections to the gay lifestyle. There are many reasons for this revolt, one of the most important of which is the increasing politicization of the game. Fan attendance has been declining steadily, and even in terms of viewership, the NBA finals is drawing abysmal ratings.
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Were it not for the explosion of revenue coming from all the big TV screens, due to the multiplicity of cable sports channels, most owners of professional sports would be hurting. (Photo credit: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) A detail of the Tampa Bay Rays pride burst logo celebrating Pride Month during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Tropicana Field on June 4.