Throughout the month of June, Americans from all walks of life have gone about their business surrounded by rainbow Pride flags. They are everywhere you look, from restaurants to online shopping to even everyone’s favorite escape, sports. As the alphabet mafia set their sights on major league sports, how are these teams responding to the other portions of their customer base? Are they giving in so they don’t become the next Bud Light or Target? Some are, but some are actually listening to their fan base. One of those teams is the Texas Rangers. The Rangers are the only team in Major League Baseball (MLB) to not host a Pride Night at their ballpark. And their fan base is just fine with it.

Major League Baseball is celebrating Pride month with every team having a Pride Night except one. Our God Bless "Texas Rangers" said no way👍 The Houston Astros will have their Pride game but only celebrate at the "bottom" of each inning!
DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS! pic.twitter.com/dpNzgmKxrh

— Ken Miles (@kenmilesamerica) June 18, 2023

The last time the Rangers did anything remotely like a Pride Night was back in 2003. And it wasn’t the rainbow-draped affair one might find in Dodger Stadium. It was a low-key, unadvertised event where several LGBTQ+ organizations were invited to the stadium and were honored. Enough backlash ensued that the Rangers have not done anything like it since. But what they did do may have sent some mixed signals in the eyes of the Rangers organization. Neil Leibman is the Chief Operating Officer for the Rangers. Back in 2020, he explained to the Dallas Morning News that he felt that changes and activities within the organization did more in terms of support for the LGBTQ+ community than simply draping the stadium in rainbow flags and hosting a Pride Night.

But that wasn’t enough for, ironically, the Los Angeles Times. Apparently, the self-appointed Pride Night police asked for a statement from the Rangers on their neglect of having a Pride Night. The Rangers politely slapped the L.A. times back, stating:

Our commitment is to make everyone feel welcome and included in Rangers baseball. That means in our ballpark, at every game, and in all we do – for both our fans and our employees. We deliver on that promise across our many programs to have a positive impact across our entire community.

@Rangers Congrats to the Ranger organization for not having a pride night and catering to one group but making everyone feel welcome at the ballpark!
GOD BLESS TEXAS😁

— Doyle A Wilson (@wilson_da63) June 18, 2023

In addition to changing some of their hiring practices, the Rangers went outside of the rainbow-draped stadium. They sponsored NAGAAA Gay Softball World Series and worked with the Pegasus Slow-Pitch Softball Association, a Dallas/Fort Worth area non-profit that promotes all-inclusive amateur sports with an emphasis on participation from the LGBTQ+ community. While some Ranger fans may see these sponsorships as possibly sending a mixed message about the Rangers’ support for the LGBTQ+ community, a board member from the Texas Family Project had this to say:

People are tired of having pride themed merchandise and branding shoved in their faces by every company, organization, and sports franchise. People just want to watch baseball. To the vast majority of fans, Rangers’ decision to buck the trend of celebrating sexuality is a breath of fresh air.

By listening to the majority of their fan base, the Texas Rangers may have spared themselves the fate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers recently decided that “honoring” a group that calls themselves the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,” an anti-Catholic, anti-Christian group of drag queens dressed as nuns, would be a good idea. The announcement sparked calls for boycotts and led to protests outside the stadium before the game. Even Dodgers ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw spoke out against the decision by the team to honor the group.

The pre-game ceremony in L.A. was sparsely attended, as was the attendance of the game for a Friday night opening game of a series, especially against the cross-state rival San Francisco Giants. Sports fans don’t attend games to get political lectures. They go to escape the everyday back and forth of politics. The message Major League Baseball fans are beginning to send might just be: “Shut up and play ball.”

I am proud to be a Texas Rangers baseball fan. The only major league team that does not have a LGBTQ pride night and they never fly the rainbow flag. They do however honor our Military. #PlayBall pic.twitter.com/6sTKBLXCHb

— JKWise🇺🇲 (@JKWise1A) June 17, 2023