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. Well now, the Blue Jays relief pitcher is facing even more backlash for sharing an anti-LGBTQ2S+ video on Instagram.
On Monday, 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 — 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.”
“Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work,” 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.
“Individual player sentiments are not representative of the club’s beliefs,” the statement reads.
The Jays are set to host their fourth annual Pride Weekend at Roger Centre when they take on the Minnesota Twins June 9 and 10.
An of Tuesday morning, the video remains on Bass’ Instagram story.
