Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw wore a hat with the colors of the pride flag during a game against the San Francisco Giants, but not for the reason many might imagine.
Kershaw and the Dodgers hosted their National League West rivals on Friday night, in a game that ended with the Dodgers’ 6-2 loss, although it should be noted that Kershaw did not play in the game. However, while on the bench, cameras caught the future Hall of Famer wearing this particular hat.
Clayton Kershaw’s cap that creates confusion
The hat displayed the colors of the pride flag mixed with the Dodgers logo. This might come as a surprise, given that Kershaw is an outspoken Christian and very vocal about his faith.
However, upon closer inspection, a small inscription can be seen written by Kershaw himself on the hat, which reads “Genesis 9:12-16”. This Bible passage says, in part: “And God said: ‘This is the sign of the covenant I make between me and you and every living being that is with you, for future generations: I have put my bow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.'”
Why does Kershaw wear a pride cap?
The message Kershaw wanted to convey with his hat is that the rainbow, commonly associated with the LGBTQ+ community, was not originally created for the purpose of representing that group. Instead, according to the Bible, it is a symbol of the covenant that God made to never again destroy the earth with a flood. Kershaw highlighted how its original meaning had been distorted.
This gesture has made some fans of the pitcher appreciate him even more, not only for his skill on the field, but also for his courage in expressing his faith in a public way. However, another large section of the fans have criticized him for an implicit message against sexual diversity, by using the relevance of the theme in Pride Month to give a message that could be interpreted as contrary to the free expression of sexual orientation.
The reminder by Klayton about the meaning of the rainbow, which was initially interpreted as the symbol of the sign of God’s covenant, is pertinent or intolerant depending on one’s perspective.
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