Texas Rangers Website Banner Change During LGBTQ+ Pride Month 'Not Intentional. That's Ridiculous.'

A seldom-noticed banner atop the Texas Rangers website recently changed, but a team executive said it has nothing do with June being Pride Month.

Jun 3, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; The San Francisco Giants logo on the left field wall is decorated to commemorate pride month before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

ARLINGTON — There is bad timing ... and then there is unfortunate bad timing.

The Texas Rangers may have recently run into the latter.

Some fans have noticed that the Rangers official website changed its banner slogan to "Straight Up Texas" at the start of June.

"Run It Back" had been on the Rangers' website for the first couple of months of their World Series championship-defending season.

Why is it bad timing? June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and the Rangers are the only MLB team that doesn't celebrate the occasion with a dedicated Pride Night at Globe Life Field.

The change in slogans, however, was planned months ago by the club's marketing team, which will unveil a new slogan "Big Bright Stars" soon, according to a Rangers executive who preferred to remain unnamed. The marketing team has four specific slogans planned throughout the season. Another slogan will replace "Big Bight Stars" at the end of August.

According to the executive, the banner change was just unfortunate timing and wasn't a dig at Pride Month, as some fans on social media have asserted. Straight Up Texas, or #StraightUpTX, has been the club's main slogan for the past four seasons. It is used on all sorts of club marketing and promotional material.

"It certainly wasn't done intentionally or to make some sort of statement," the executive said. "That's ridiculous."

The Chicago Cubs held MLB's first Pride-themed night at Wrigley Field in 2001. The Houston Astros were the last MLB club to officially add a Pride Night in 2021. The Rangers remain the only club not to offer one.

The Texas Rangers — the only MLB team without a Pride Night — have changed their website banner. Here are screenshots from May 29 vs. today.

“Run it Back” has given way to “Straight Up Texas”

At best, it’s really unfortunate timing. At worst, it feels antagonistic. pic.twitter.com/qCv2YHqBIw

— Levi Weaver (@ThreeTwoEephus) June 3, 2024

"Our commitment is to make everyone feel welcome and included in Rangers baseball," the Rangers said in a release a year ago. "That means in our ballpark, at every game, and in all we do – for both our fans and our employees. We deliver on that promise across our many programs to have a positive impact across our entire community."

MLB does not require its 30 teams to host Pride Night or to support the LGBTQ+ community in other overt ways. However, most teams, including those in other sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA, and NHL, have embraced the Pride theme and sell Pride-themed team merchandise, including the Dallas Cowboys. The Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Dallas Wings, and FC Dallas all celebrate Pride Night and/or LGBTQ+ causes.

You can follow Stefan Stevenson on X @StefanVersusTex.

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