In pro baseball, it’s hard to get to October. The Texas Rangers have a World Series Championship to their name, something that five other major league teams don’t have.

However, the Rangers remain the only team in the major leagues not to host a Pride Night.

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June is Pride month. In 1999, President Bill Clinton officially designated June as “Gay and Lesbian Pride Month,” marking the first time a U.S. president formally acknowledged the month in celebration of LGBTQ+ pride.

29 of the 30 Major League Baseball teams host their version of Pride Night at their stadiums. According to OutSports, the Los Angeles Dodgers were the first MLB team to host a Pride Night in 2000 following an incident where a lesbian couple was kicked out by stadium security for showing public affection.

The Dodgers contacted the couple, apologized, and offered them seats behind home plate for a future game.

What do the Texas Rangers say about not hosting a Pride Night?

The Texas Rangers’ decision not to partake in Pride Night has perplexed baseball fans.

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The team has never really stated why this is the case, other than showcasing initiatives the team has worked on. Texas’ other major league baseball team, the Houston Astros, hosted their first Pride Night in 2021.

The Rangers have stated that they’re commitment is to make everyone feel welcome and included with their baseball club. They emphasize that this applies to their ballpark, every game, and all aspects of their organization.

According to NBC News, the Texas Rangers have collaborated with the Resource Center, a LGBTQ+ organization in the Dallas area, as part of their commitment to inclusivity. The team has also invited the Resource Center to help develop policies on inclusion and has sent employees to volunteer for programs within the organization, which advocate for marriage equality and transgender rights.

“Our longstanding commitment remains the same: To make everyone feel welcome and included in Rangers baseball — in our ballpark, at every game, and in all we do — for both our fans and our employees,” the team said in a statement. “We deliver on that promise across our many programs to have a positive impact across our entire community.”

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The Rangers sponsored the NAGAAA Gay Softball World Series in 2022 when it was held in Dallas and Waxahachie. The team took part in the opening ceremonies in Dallas and collaborated with local organizers and NAGAAA officials on various initiatives for the event.

According to WFAA, the Rangers have also worked with local organizations in the past, such as the Pegasus Slow-Pitch Softball Association, which fosters quality amateur softball while emphasizing participation from the LGBTQ+ community.

What have LGBTQ+ advocates said about the Texas Rangers?

Rafael McDonnell, a communications and advocacy manager for the Resource Center, has described the Rangers’ relationship with LGBTQ+ inclusion as complex. McDonnell said his personal connection to the team and their stance on Pride Night have made supporting them difficult.

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“It’s a complicated relationship,” McDonnell said in a NBC News interview. “As someone who grew up watching the Rangers, as someone who has gone to games since the 1970s, some of my biggest and best memories are going to games at the old Arlington Stadium with my late grandfather and listening to games on the radio in his backyard.”

When the Rangers hosted the MLB All-Star Game in 2024, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred addressed the controversy surrounding the Rangers being the only team not to host a Pride Night.

“There are a whole host of factors that go into deciding who’s going to get an All-Star Game, and I don’t view whether you have a Pride Night or not as a outcome-determinative issue,” Manfred said before Tuesday night’s game at Globe Life Field. “It’s an issue. We look at all those issues and make the best decision and try to give it to the place that we think is going to kind of be the best in terms of marketing of the game.”

Are the Texas Rangers hosting a Pride Night in 2025?

No. The Rangers are still not hosting a Pride Night this year.

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However, the Baltimore Orioles will host the Rangers, with their Pride Night scheduled for June 25.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Why are the Texas Rangers not hosting Pride Night? What we know