Blue Jays pitcher 'truly sorry' for sharing anti-LGBTQ2S+ video
Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Anthony Bass said he is “truly sorry” for sharing a controversial anti-LGBTQ2S+ video on Instagram.
“I recognize yesterday I made a post that was hurtful to the Pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine and I'm truly sorry for that,” Bass said while addressing the media Tuesday afternoon.
- Watch Anthony Bass' full statement in the video player above
On Monday morning, Bass shared a video on his Instagram story from @dudewithgoodnews, a user who posts daily devotionals to his feed, which encouraged those of Christian faith to boycott Target and take no part in their business.
Tagging Target in the caption, the user says they will expose the retailer’s “works of darkness.”
“For those who don’t know, Target has begun pushing the message of transitioning to young people and teamed up with a Satanist to push pro-Satan clothing and pins to children. The enemy isn’t even hiding anymore,” the caption reads, calling the merchandise “evil” and “demonic” in the video.
After receiving a wave of backlash for sharing the video, Bass told reporters, “The ballpark is for everybody.”
“I just spoke with my teammates and shared with them my actions yesterday and apologized with them, and as of right now, I’m using Blue Jays’ resources to better educate myself and make better decisions moving forward,” he said.
Blue Jays Manager John Schneider said Bass’ actions don’t reflect the team’s views as an organization.
“An apology for one person goes so far and we're gonna continue to do everything that we have done in the past to help support the Pride community,” Schneider said on Tuesday.
He called Bass’ apology “remorseful” and said that he was “aware” of the hurt he had caused by sharing the video.
The Blue Jays also said in a statement they are proud to celebrate Pride month, including hosting their fourth annual Pride Weekend at Rogers Centre on June 9 and 10, and “demonstrations of allyship all month long around the ballpark.”
Bass made headlines in April after calling out United Airlines on Twitter, saying the airline forced his pregnant wife to “get on her hands and knees” to clean up after their two-year-old daughter while on a flight.
PRIDE MERCHANDISE BOYCOTT
Target’s Pride merchandise hit the stands earlier in May, ahead of Pride month in June.
One of the vendors, Abprallen, sold items like a “cure transphobia, not trans people” sweater, a “too queer for here” tote bag, and “we belong everywhere” fanny pack.
Target's Pride collection had more than 2,000 products for sale from home furnishings to clothes, but Abprallen was one of the few vendors so far removed from its website and stores.
A screenshot of Anthony Bass' Instagram story. (Instagram/@anthonyebass)
The backlash on social media revolved around some of Abprallen's products that weren't sold at Target, like an enamel pin with a slogan that reads 'Satan Respects Pronouns.'
In an Instagram post, the designer, Erik Carnell, said he was accused of being a Satanist and marketing his work to children.
“It is a common trope to accuse LGBT+ people of immoral or illegal activities in order to discredit them, regardless of the truth behind the matter,” the artist wrote.
According to Target, customers have knocked down Pride displays at some stores, antagonized workers, and posted threatening videos on social media from inside the store.
“Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work,” Target said in a statement to The Associated Press.
In response to the backlash, Target announced it would be removing some of its LGBTQ2S+ merchandise nationwide and moving its Pride merchandise to the back of some southern U.S. stores.
Target’s decision comes on the heels of Bud Light’s recent controversy with dropping its brand partnership with transgender influencer, Dylan Mulvaney. The popular beer brand has long marketed itself to LGBTQ2S+ drinkers – selling rainbow cans for Pride – but some consumers, including musician Kid Rock, lashed out.
All of this comes during a time where hundreds of anti-transgender bills in the U.S. were introduced, with the goal to strip or criminalize gender-affirming care.
With files from The Associated Press and Reuters
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.