LGBT

Duncan Grant

(8,948 posts) Sat Jun 13, 2026, 03:40 PM 5 hrs ago

SF Giants pitchers appear to be protesting team's Pride Night

Multiple SF Giants pitchers appear to be protesting team's Pride Night

San Francisco Giants pitcher Landen Roupp throws to a Chicago Cubs batter during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 12, 2026, in San Francisco.
(Scott Marshall/AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

*Please note Bible scripture referenced on the front panel of Roupp’s cap*

The San Francisco Giants have worn rainbow-colored hats on their annual celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community since 2021. But when Pride Night came to Oracle Park for 2026 on Friday, four of the five pitchers the Giants used in the game doctored their uniforms in what has been become an increasingly common form of protest from MLB players.

Giants starter Landon Roupp and relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker had verses from the Bible written on their hats, with Roupp and Brubaker writing on the front panels of the hat next to the rainbow-colored SF logo, while Walker wrote his on the side of his hat. Left-handed reliever Sam Hentges didn’t wear the rainbow hat at all, sticking with the usual orange SF logo hat that the team otherwise wears…

Given the volume of Giants pitchers who either didn’t wear the rainbow-colored hat or wrote a Bible verse on it, it sure appears to have been a protest effort from multiple players. After the Giants lost 5-1, Roupp told reporters…, “There’s no hate at all. It’s just what I stand for and what I stand on.”

If Roupp and the other Giants were writing this message on their hats every single night, that wouldn’t be as big a deal. But to do it on the only night the team celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community sure makes it appear to be a protest, whether they will say it is or not.

This story may not mean anything to you, but it gets under my skin. I held season tickets with the Giants for 10 years. Although there are queer people in the Giants organization, none of them are on the field. This holier-than-thou stunt tells you why. If your team is doing this passive-aggressive bullsh*t — BOYCOTT THEM. Let the organization be financially supported by Christian “love” and their enablers. This sanctimonious grandstanding won’t go over well here. I do wonder if moderate Democrat, Mayor Lurie, will avoid the controversy entirely. Let’s see what happens.

8 replies

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SF Giants pitchers appear to be protesting team's Pride Night (Original Post) Duncan Grant 5 hrs ago OP

The teams or MLB fining these players mid-six figures or more would put an end to this. LonePirate 5 hrs ago #1

If the leagues contract with the MLBPA permits it, sure MichMan 5 hrs ago #2

At least now I know at least 5 MLB players I never want on my team. Wiz Imp 5 hrs ago #3

Not sure it makes sense to boycott a team that holds a Pride celebration Fiendish Thingy 5 hrs ago #4

Let's see how the organization responds. Duncan Grant 3 hrs ago #6

It's just "exceptionalism" from exceptionally incompetent people who created a homophobic God in their own image. usonian 5 hrs ago #5

How do the catchers feel about it? 2MuchNoise 2 hrs ago #7

This Outsports piece says it better than I did. Duncan Grant 2 hrs ago #8

LonePirate

(14,381 posts)

1. The teams or MLB fining these players mid-six figures or more would put an end to this.

Reply to Duncan Grant (Original post)

Sat Jun 13, 2026, 03:59 PM

5 hrs ago

MichMan

(17,535 posts)

2. If the leagues contract with the MLBPA permits it, sure

Reply to LonePirate (Reply #1)

Sat Jun 13, 2026, 04:14 PM

5 hrs ago

Wiz Imp

(10,650 posts)

3. At least now I know at least 5 MLB players I never want on my team.

Reply to Duncan Grant (Original post)

Sat Jun 13, 2026, 04:19 PM

5 hrs ago

I can't believe MLB would allow this. Those players need to be fined, preferably significantly.

For the record, the Giants are tied for the 2nd worst record in al of Major League Baseball.

Fiendish Thingy

(24,331 posts)

4. Not sure it makes sense to boycott a team that holds a Pride celebration

Reply to Duncan Grant (Original post)

Sat Jun 13, 2026, 04:20 PM

5 hrs ago

Especially when it’s just five out of dozens of players who protest the event.

It’s like if a city had their Pride parade, but some of the residents protested the parade, would you urge a boycott on tourism to the city?

Boycotting seems to be a sure way to get Pride Night cancelled altogether.

Duncan Grant

(8,948 posts)

6. Let's see how the organization responds.

Reply to Fiendish Thingy (Reply #4)

Sat Jun 13, 2026, 06:18 PM

3 hrs ago

I’m wondering what’s the point of a Pride Night when the players are complicit in anti-queer theatrics. My opinion is that these stunts need to be strongly addressed as soon as they happen.

Edit: I don’t accept your position that the team and the city are an equivalent comparison. At the same time, I feel no need to persuade you otherwise.

usonian

(26,909 posts)

5. It's just "exceptionalism" from exceptionally incompetent people who created a homophobic God in their own image.

Reply to Duncan Grant (Original post)

Sat Jun 13, 2026, 04:27 PM

5 hrs ago

The pitching staff is awful. The only one who is ALMOST average (WAR = 0.9) is valued more for what he can get in a trade than trying to rescue this disastrous pitching season.

GIANTS POSTCAST: Giants STINK in Clutch Moments, Pitching Staff UNRAVELING
https://podscan.fm/podcasts/locked-on-giants-daily-podcast-on-the-san-francisco-giants/episodes/giants-postcast-giants-stink-in-clutch-moments-pitching-staff-unraveling
Jun 10, 2026

Episode Description

The San Francisco Giants continue to flat-out stink as they couldn't find the big hit on offense yet again in a 6-3 loss to the Washington Nationals. They were able to load the bases in three separate innings, but only scored in one of the opportunities. Collectively, the San Francisco Giants were 3-12 with runners in scoring position and left 13 runners on base. The pitching was not much better, as Adrian Houser gave up three runs in just 4.1 innings, and the bullpen gave up three more in their collective 4.2 innings of work. Special guest Dieter Kurtenbach joins the show.

It’s some of the worst pitching you’ll ever see

It stinks to stink, but the Giants have an uncleanable stench. Maybe for the rest of our lives.
by Bryan Murphy. (Morning radio host at KNBR)
Jun 12, 2026, 11:48 AM PDT

But that’s not the point of this piece! It’s not just the bullpen that stinks, it’s the rotation, too. The entire pitching staff is just a huge liability. The current staff ERA of 4.55 might go down, sure, but through the first 69 games of a season, only 12 Giants teams have run up a team ERA of 4.50 or worse:

And I’ll add this final wrinkle, I suppose in order to suggest that things won’t get much better, which means that the Giants are on an unavoidable clash with history. Just 11 Giants teams in the history of the franchise have ended the season with a 4.50 or worse ERA. Not even the 100-loss 1985 team did that (3.61 team ERA). Here they are, the worst pitching staffs in Giants history:

Giants' owner Greg Johnson has donated millions to the Republican party, and references to his contributions peter out on the internet around 2024.

2MuchNoise

(931 posts)

7. How do the catchers feel about it?

Reply to Duncan Grant (Original post)

Sat Jun 13, 2026, 06:31 PM

2 hrs ago

Duncan Grant

(8,948 posts)

8. This Outsports piece says it better than I did.

Reply to Duncan Grant (Original post)

Sat Jun 13, 2026, 06:55 PM

2 hrs ago

3 Giants players attacked the LGBTQ community and weaponized the Pride rainbow

The actions of these three players were intentionally hurtful.

Hiding behind their religion as a shield to demonstrate hate against a valuable population in the San Francisco community is utterly shameful behavior.

To represent the City on the Bay, it should be disqualifying behavior.

Roupp’s follow-up to the media when asked what he’d like to say to the LGBTQ community: “Read the Bible.”

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