It’s 2024 and the Boston Red Sox have had to suspend a player for yelling a homophobic slur at a fan. Comfortably at home at Boston’s Fenway Park while playing against the Houston Astros, outfielder Jarren Duran told a fan “shut up, you f*cking f*ggot.”
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The hypocrisy is crazy
Duran has been suspended for the next two game and will forfeit his pay. That pay will be donated to PFLAG (an LGBTQ+ organization that works to boost the community through support, education, and advocacy. ESPN notes that his lost pay will be $8,172, which might sound like a lot, except that Jarren Duran makes $760,000 a year.
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Via the Red Sox team, Duran apologized in a statement about the event:
“During tonight’s game, I used a truly horrific word when responding to a fan. I feel awful knowing how many people I offended and disappointed. I apologize to the entire Red Sox organization, but more importantly to the entire LGBTQ community. Our young fans are supposed to be able to look up to me as a role model, but tonight I fell far short of that responsibility. I will use this opportunity to educate myself and my teammates and to grow as a person.” – Jarren Duran
While sports teams are best known for the racist slurs and depictions in their team names, homophobic slurs from the baseball field are nothing new. It’s been a few years since notable occasions have hit the news. Back in 2017 Kevin Pillar (then of the Toronto Blue Jays) yelled a gay slur at a pitcher. In the same year, Matt Joyce (then of Oakland Athletics) yelled one at a fan.
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The Dodgers’ action shines a light on what’s to come with the wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and sentiment sweeping the nation.
After the incidents, both Pillar and Joyce were suspended for the next two games. They forfeited their pay for those games. And donated it to charity. Matt Joyce’s pay went to PFLAG, while Pillar’s was split between PFLAG and You Can Play (a charity that works to make sports accessible and safe for LGBTQ+ athletes). If all of that sounds familiar, that makes sense.
Apparently, Major League Baseball has such a consistent problem with homophobia from its players that their playbook includes directions on how to respond to it. Perhaps it isn’t working, and they need to change it up.
