The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Friday that pitcher Anthony Bass has been designated for assignment and effectively removed from the team’s roster in the wake of his anti-LGBTQ2S+ posts. The move comes just before the Jays’ fourth annual Pride Weekend at the Rogers Centre.
The 35-year-old, who was booed by fans in his first and second appearance since sharing the video, made a public apology last week. The Toronto Blue Jays attempted to rectify the situation prior to this roster move by bafflingly deciding to have Bass catch the ceremonial first pitch kicking off Pride Weekend on Friday evening.
But on Thursday, Bass stated in an interview that he still “stands by his personal beliefs” and removed the video to avoid any “distractions.”
It looks like that may have been the final straw for the Blue Jays, who removed Bass and reinstated starting pitcher Mitch White after a right elbow injury.
You might remember back in April when Anthony Bass set social media ablaze after he blasted United Airlines for making his pregnant wife clean up their toddler’s mess on a flight. Now, the Blue Jays relief pitcher has faced even more backlash for sharing a since-deleted anti-LGBTQ2S+ video on Instagram.
On May 29, the 35-year-old shared a reel from another account, which encouraged those of Christian faith to boycott companies like Target and Bud Light.
“Here’s the reason biblically why I believe Christians have gotta be boycotting Target, Bud Light and any other corporation that’s pushing the thing’s they’re pushing,” the original poster says in the video.”I think a lot of people make this into a political issue or they say oh, what’s the big deal?”
In the past, Target has received backlash for carrying Pride-themed merchandise in the month of June โ and because of this, made the move to remove some of the items from their collection, while Bud Light has faced criticism for partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
The merchandise includes items designed by LGBTQ-owned brands like London-based apparel line Abprallen, which designed several items, including a tote bag, fanny pack and sweatshirt, adorned with phrased like ‘Too queer for here,” and ‘Cure transphobia, not trans people.”
โSince introducing this yearโs collection, weโve experienced threats impacting our team membersโ sense of safety and well-being while at work,โ a representative from Target said in a statement to the Associate Press.
The Toronto Blue Jays told CTV News Toronto that they strive to offer all of their fans an inclusive and welcoming experience.
โIndividual player sentiments are not representative of the clubโs beliefs,โ the statement reads.