LGBT activists are protesting the St. Louis Cardinals' decision to host Christian Family Day later this season, saying that former Cardinals player Lance Berkman, who will speak at the event, is "divisive" and demeaning."
Ironically, the same LGBT activists are also calling for "diversity" and "inclusion."
Christian Family Day at St. Louis' Busch Stadium is an annual event dating back 30 years. Each year, the Major League Baseball team invites a former or current player or coach to speak about the role that their Christian faith has played in their lives. The speakers take to the field to share their faith journeys after the game, so those who do not wish to hear the speech have the option to leave and not miss any of the game.
Berkman was an outspoken critic of the city ordinance in Houston, Texas, which said that transgender individuals can use the bathroom of their choice, regardless of their biological gender
“The issue is, what to do about a 15 or 16-year-old boy who thinks he’s a girl and wants to shower with the girls. Maybe he is [transgender], maybe he’s confused. But I wouldn’t want him in the shower with my daughters. We shouldn’t have the rights of 2 percent of the population trump the rights of the other 98 percent," Berkman said, according to the Houston Chronicle.
In a separate interview, Berkman said that tolerance "is the virtue that is killing this country."
“We’re tolerant of everything. You know, everything is OK, and as long as you want to do it and as long as it feels good to you then it’s perfectly acceptable do it. Those are the kinds of things that lead you down a slippery slope, and you’ll get in trouble in a hurry," Berkman said.
The LGBT activist group Pride St. Louis is now seizing upon Berkman's past statements, which they say are homophobic. The group is actively working to keep Berkman from speaking at this year's event, which is scheduled for July 30.
"Pride St. Louis is disappointed by the decision of the St. Louis Cardinals to provide a public platform for Berkman, an individual whose words and actions towards the LGBTQ+ are divisive and demeaning. We know that the Cardinals can do better, and we want to extend an offer to help them by co-organizing their official LGBT Pride Night at Busch Stadium. Let’s work together to promote love, diversity, and inclusion," Pride St. Louis said in a statement, according to KTVI-TV.
The statement from Pride St. Louis is curious, if you take the organization at its word that it truly does want an "inclusive" atmosphere.
The very definition of "inclusive" is welcoming people of all different backgrounds, including race, faith and sexual orientation.
And according to St. Louis Cardinals spokesman Ron Watermon, that's exactly what the baseball club stands for. It even offers proof.
"As an organization, the Cardinals have always been committed to bringing like-minded groups together to share in the unifying experience of Cardinals baseball. We are an inclusive organization with a social responsibility to be welcoming to all types of people and organizations. We continue to try and reach out to every part of our community, and have hosted a variety of themed events like Christian Day, Jewish Community Night, Catholic Family Night, Bosnian Heritage Night, Fiesta Cardenales, and many others," the statement from the Cardinals read.
The MLB franchise announced in its statement that it will host its first ever Pride Night later this season, which will "bring members of the LGBT community together to enjoy Cardinals baseball," according to KTVI-TV.
The Cardinals statement further pointed out that this isn't the first time the team has hosted events aimed at the LGBT community.
"I might add that while this will be our first official Pride theme event, the Cardinals have hosted various LGBT community groups at the ballpark for more than a decade," Watermon said.
The controversy comes on the heels of another Pride Month controversy in Philadelphia last week, when LGBT activists unveiled a new Pride flag that added one black stripe and one brown stripe to the iconic rainbow banner. While the organization behind the addition of the two new stripes claimed "inclusivity" as their motivation, they failed to add a white stripe.
It's important to note, too, that 34 percent of 1,197 U.S. LGBT surveyed by Pew Research Center in 2013 identified as non-white. The overwhelming majority of LGBT individuals in the U.S. — 66 percent — identified as white.
(H/T: Daily Caller)
