HOUSTON — There are 30 teams in Major League Baseball and right now only one does not host a Pride night in June.
The tradition began in 2001 with the Chicago Cubs and other teams joined in as the years went on.
The last two holdouts were the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers until 2021 when the Astros held a “Baseball is for Everyone” Pride night against the Rangers.
Over the years, the Rangers have been asked repeatedly why they are the only ones not holding a Pride event and their message has been consistent.
Their statement reads in part, “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…”
The team has also pointed to their sponsorship of the NAGAAA Gay Softball World Series held last summer.
The Rangers have other theme nights, including games celebrating Star Wars and Whataburger. And while they have been under pressure for years they do not appear any closer to adding Pride to that list.
Some critics have pointed out that the teams’ majority stakeholder is billionaire Ray Davis, who has donated to Greg Abbott’s campaign. But he has never publicly said anything against the LGBTQ+ community.