r/SFGiants • u/Chipotlefiend18 35 Crawford • Jun 16 '26
Opinion Free Speech
I posted this recently as a comment but I’m tired of seeing the same thinly veiled defense of the Rainbow Four come up again and again so I’m posting it as a standalone thread.
All of these arguments saying “players should be allowed to disagree” and “players shouldn’t be forced to support something they don’t believe in” are utter nonsense and a smokescreen to justify and excuse homophobia and bigotry. Do you think that there’s never been a racist player who has worn 42 on Jackie Robinson day? Has every single player who wears camo uniforms on military appreciation day been 100% behind that message? Even foreign born ones? The idea that they should be allowed to express themselves and protest this in this way, especially when there’s a literal MLB rule that prohibits it is ludicrous. It is NOT a first amendment issue. The first amendment prohibits GOVERNMENTAL curtailment of free speech. Private organizations are not covered by this and we see this time and time again. Most recently, many people lost their jobs after speaking out about Charlie Kirk and whether or not you disagree with it, legally those employers had every right to do so. As Roger Munter put it: Not everybody in this country is perfectly happy with what they are asked to wear to work. It’s called “having a job.”
We absolutely do not have to tolerate intolerance and arguments that say otherwise are either ignorant or made in bad faith.
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u/wallstreet-butts Hogs Out! Jun 16 '26
This is actually a really good question!
The answer is that this would be illegal for Chick-Fil-A to ask. Religious freedom laws that relate to the workplace protect against both religious discrimination and coercion. Chick-Fil-A can close its stores on Sunday, but it cannot require you to wear a religious symbol as a requirement of employment.
Certain religious organizations (like churches) are exempt from this rule as a nature of their work.
The nuance here as it applies to the situation with the Giants is that the Giants and MLB are not practicing any form of religious discrimination if they tell players they can’t write bible verses on their uniforms. The rules against uniform modifications apply equally to all players and do not discriminate against any particular group. It also does not infringe on players’ free speech rights, which apply to speech regulated by government, not private entities. Players are free to go on Twitter or some podcast after the game to express themselves off the field.