John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Blue Jays Anthony Bass Apologizes For Anti-LGBTQ Social Media Post
TORONTO — Blue Jays reliever Anthony Bass apologized Tuesday for sharing a video on his Instagram account that suggested a boycott of Target for the company's recent initiatives supporting the LGBTQ community.
The reliever issued a statement but did not take any questions.
"I recognize yesterday I made a post that was hurtful to the pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine," Bass said. "And I'm truly sorry for that."
Bass met with Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins and manager John Schneider before Tuesday's game, apologizing to the two team leaders, Schneider said. The manager then suggested Bass apologize to his teammates, which he did.
"He understood that it was offensive to certain groups and that's why he apologized," Schneider said. "I think that was the most important thing, understanding that."
Bass received significant social media backlash for sharing a post that suggested Target was "evil" and "demonic" for rolling out Pride month merchandise. Asked what Schneider would say to fans who think Bass' prepared apology was not enough, the manager said Bass' shared post "doesn't represent the overall feelings as an organization."
"We have and will continue to be a huge part of the pride community," Schneider said. "We're looking forward to the ninth and 10th of June."
The Blue Jays will hold pride nights on June 9 and June 10 in Toronto.
Here is Bass' statement in full:
"I recognize yesterday I made a post that was hurtful to the pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine. And I'm truly sorry for that. I just spoke with my teammates to share with them my actions yesterday. I apologized with them. And as of right now, I'm using the Blue Jays' resources to better educate myself to make better decisions moving forward. The ballpark is for everybody. We include all fans at the ballpark. We want to welcome everybody."
