Pride Nights built LGBTQ+ inclusion in pro sports over three decades. That progress is now under pressure

Pride-themed sporting events have become commonplace in North American men’s professional sports leagues. These events were introduced with a simple message: LGBTQ+ fans belong in sports. Opposition to them is nothing new — pushback against Pride Nights stretches back at least to 2022 — but it has escalated over the past few years. Most recently, three San Francisco Giants pitchers wrote Bible verses on their Pride Night hats in an apparent protest against the team’s Pride Night, while a…