MLB Pulling Pride Logo Has Nothing to Do With Boycotts
Conservatives are claiming victory over their boycott of another organization, but the Major League Baseball (MLB) Pride logo on social media was taken down for reasons other than backlash from the community.
On Thursday, MLB changed its profile picture on Facebook to include a logo that featured the Pride flag in honor of June, which is celebrated by LGBTQ+ members as Pride month. On Friday, MLB reverted to its standard logo, and several conservative voices on Twitter claimed the change as a "victory" amid ongoing boycotts of organizations and companies that have been involved in social issues.
The boycotts, primarily targeting support of the LGBTQ+ community, have started taken hold after vocal outrage to a partnership between transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney and Bud Light.
The boycotts have grown to include Target, Kohl's, The North Face and PetSmart, with conservatives encouraging people to continue boycotting the companies as many have seen a decrease in sales and stock prices. Boycotts are expected to continue through June as companies offer LGBTQ+ merchandise for Pride month.
Conservatives claimed another victory on Friday after one Twitter account pointed out that MLB changed its logo on social media, but the league is citing a different reason for the change.
"Wow. The MLB just quietly removed their LGBTQ+ Pride logo," the End Wokeness Twitter account tweeted on Friday morning.
Conservative responses poured in, with one person tweeting "we're winning" and others commending the change, but MLB told Newsweek that the organization always planned to recognize the beginning of Pride Month on June 1. Friday marked Lou Gehrig Day, which is celebrated leaguewide, and MLB later updated its profile picture to reflect that "as was the intended plan all along."
Professional sports, particularly baseball, were pulled into the LGBTQ+ debate when the Los Angeles Dodgers issued a community hero award to California-based LGBTQ+ nonprofit The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an "order of queer and trans nuns" that since 1979 has "devoted ourselves to community service, ministry and outreach to those on the edges, and to promoting human rights, respect for diversity and spiritual enlightenment," according to the group's website. The Dodgers also invited the group to the 10th annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night on June 16.
However, some have accused the organization of defiling the Catholic faith, and the baseball team faced backlash from conservative and religious figures for issuing the award.
The baseball team withdrew the award and invitation before encountering more criticism from the LGBTQ+ community after the change of heart. Ultimately, the Dodgers reissued the award and reinvited the group to the event, reigniting the original criticism.
Anthony Bass, a pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays also entered the fray when he shared a video to his Instagram story promoting the boycott of Bud Light and Target. He later apologized for the post.
Companies and organizations have differed in their responses to the boycotts, with some struggling to find their voice amid the backlash and others digging deeper in their support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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