But now the Tampa Bay Five, even though they were not sanctioned for their act, look like political rebels in the GOP’s war against “corporate wokeness.” By refusing to wear the flag, the players are using religion as a cover for bigotry. Five players refused to wear the rainbow flag on what they said were religious grounds, calling it a “faith-based decision.” Keep in mind that Pride night is designed to be an innocuous event whose only message is not “support the ‘liberal Gay Agenda’” but simply that LGBTQ people are welcome at the ballpark. This has revealed itself in Tampa Bay, where the Rays baseball team attempted to celebrate their 16th annual Pride Night by having players wear the Pride flag on their uniforms or hats. But one result of commodification is that we start to confuse corporate representation with actual political and social progress. Of course, we should want and expect every aspect of our society-especially the sports world-to be welcome and opening to LGBTQ people. This commodification of an identity and its attendant struggle can have dramatic pitfalls.
There’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow-Pride Night, like MAN, is transactional, not transformational. Corporate associations with the Pride brand have for decades proven to be lucrative and omnipresent, as anyone who has attended a Pride march with its suffocating corporate partnerships could attest. Over the past two decades, different Major League franchises have done this with Pride, attempting to secure the “pink dollar” by having a night to celebrate the LGBTQ community.
This marketing method is not used only with the military. Partner with the pro-military brand, and you get bigger crowds and garner affection by association. For franchises, this is a smart business move.