Protesting this kind of event was never in the cards, since the announcement of Christian Faith and Family Day was met with a collective shrug by the LGBTQ community. There are bigger political fights to have than with a baseball team’s promotional day. In addition, LGBTQ people have been marginalized for so many years that I think it has led to a live-and-let-live attitude.
And yet, if any group had good reason to protest on Sunday, it would be LGBTQ people objecting to honoring Christians. This is a group that is not marginalized (64% of Americans are Christian) and has many denominations and leaders that have demonized LGBTQ people for decades and continue to do so. Most major Christian denominations still don’t recognize same-sex marriage and many of the people pushing anti-LGBTQ laws do so while citing religion. For many people coming out, reconciling their religious upbringing with their sexuality is a key source of anguish and churches have done little to combat that.
Dodgers Christian Faith and Family Day went off without a hitch and I’m fine with that. The Dodgers and pretty much every sports team have promotions geared to all sorts of groups. Getting bothered because a team has a special promotion honoring Japanese, Hispanic or Irish Americans or first responders or military members or Christians or Harry Potter fans or LGBTQ people makes no sense.
These teams have to cater to a diverse fan base and it would be stupid to make such events divisive and inject a political litmus test into what is at its core a push to sell tickets and gain new fans. It’s sad and infuriating that the LGBTQ community is the only one facing a backlash for simply being celebrated and having to justify their inclusion.
-- Jim Buzinski, "Dodgers held Christian Faith and Family Day and no gay people protested" (LOS ANGELES TIMES).
