(LifeSiteNews) — The Associated Press has published a hit piece calling out Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers for never holding a “Pride Night.” The team is set to host this year’s All-Star Game at its $1 billion Globe Life Field on July 16. 

Published this past Monday, the 1,250-word essay was picked up by many widely read outlets, including NBC, ABC, MSN.com, and several Texas-based affiliates. 

The article quotes two pro-LGBT activists who work in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Rafael McDonnell and Deejay Johannessen. It also features remarks from several fans of the team. 

While noting that the franchise has “sent employees to volunteer for programs in an organization that” promotes homosexual “marriage” and transgenderism, the essay implies that it has not done enough to show its commitment to “inclusion.”

“The Rangers celebrate Mexican heritage during a game in June and also have nights throughout the season dedicated to other ethnic groups along with Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts, first responders, teachers and the military. The team recognizes universities from around the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the state,” it reads. “Those celebrations make the absence more glaring, Johannessen said.” 

LifeSite has repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that the Rangers, who won the 2023 World Series, have not hosted a “Pride Night.” The other 29 teams in the league have already done so, with the Chicago Cubs being the first in 2001. 

A liberal contributor to Fan Nation, which is owned by Sports Illustrated, complained in June 2023 that “there’s no pride in Texas” after the franchise refused to go along with the initiative last year.  

Owned by former U.S. President George W. Bush from 1988 until 1994, the Rangers have steadfastly resisted pressure from LGBT groups and hostile media outlets to host a “pride” game. At the same time, it has repeatedly tipped its cap to the movement in other ways. 

In 2003, it invited self-identified homosexual athletes to its stadium, a move that prompted massive backlash at the time. In 2020, Fox News reported that COO Neil Leibman said a local pro-LGBT group helped him make the organization “more inclusive in hiring practices.” 

On October 21, 2021 — so-called “Spirit Day” — the Rangers’ social media account tweeted support for “inclusion.” The day had been created by a Canadian teenager in 2010 to bring attention to “bullying” of so-called “LGBTQ+ youth.” 

In 2022, the Rangers were a platinum sponsor of the “Gay Softball World Series” in Dallas. Approximately 900 rainbow-clad players from the tournament attended a game at the team’s stadium. 

What’s more, on July 15, 2023, the Rangers hosted the Pegasus Slowpitch Softball Association, a pro-homosexual organization, for a day game against the Cleveland Guardians. 

Last year, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred directed teams to not wear rainbow-themed jerseys during any “pride” games, which are held at the discretion of team owners. Five players for the Tampa Bay Rays courageously refused to wear rainbow-themed jerseys during their team’s “Pride Night.” For their heroism, they were called “bigots” by woke ESPN commentator Sarah Spain. 

In the same month, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass was cut from the team after criticizing Bud Light and Target, which had gained attention in the press for pushing gender ideology. National Review editor Rich Lowry called Bass MLB’s first “martyr” to “LGBTQ2S+ Orthodoxy.” 

Last season, the Los Angeles Dodgers also received blowback from Catholics for honoring a blasphemous group of drag “nuns” called the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” before its “Pride Night” game. Approximately 5,000 people attended a rally outside Dodger Stadium to protest the game. 

Some of the most pro-LGBT franchises in MLB include the San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, and the Cubs. 

At the start of June, the Rangers updated their website banner to say “Straight up Texas” instead of a pro-LGBT “Pride Month” message.  

The AP has reported that Rangers majority owner Ray C. Davis has donated more than $500,000 to Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott since 2013.