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Five Tampa Rays baseball players are catching heat for refusing to wear LGBT+ logos on their uniforms to celebrate Gay Pride Month.

The Tampa Bay Rays wore rainbow logos on their uniform sleeves and ball caps during the MLB’s annual “Pride Night” celebration at Tropicana Field for Pride Month.

However, five Rays players chose to remove the rainbow logos from their uniforms before taking the field on Sunday.

The five baseball players are Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs and Ryan Thompson.

Jason Adam was chosen to speak for the five players. He told the Tampa BayTimes that the decision to remove the logos was “faith-based”.

“A lot of it comes down to faith, to like a faith-based decision,” he said.

Adam said the Pride logo represented a “lifestyle” that conflicted with their religion, but gays are always welcome at Tropicana Field.

“So it’s a hard decision. Because ultimately we all said what we want is them to know that all are welcome and loved here,” Adam said.

“I think a lot of guys decided that it’s just a lifestyle that maybe — not that they look down on anybody or think differently — it’s just that maybe we don’t want to encourage it if we believe in Jesus,” he said.

But Tampa Pride president Carrie West blasted the five players who removed the Pride logo from their uniforms. West said they were “hiding behind their religion” and had “shamed” the club’s efforts to support the LGBT+ community.

“The fact that Tampa Bay Rays have a Pride Night is because they have a very high LGBTAQ fan base,” West said in a statement to The Independent on Monday. “The Tropicana Field is right in the heart of the St Petersburg Gay Community with gay bars, businesses, restaurants, and retail all around the stadium.”

“It just so happens that the LGBTAQ community is a very large fan base in following your franchise and we are honored and celebrate this one night during PRIDE Month,” West said.

“To not say Thank You and get snubbed from the five players for Your Support and getting the $$$ for top salary dollars is truly a SHAME to be reckoned with! DO NOT HIDE BEHIND RELIGION! YOU HAVE ALREADY SHOWN YOUR COLORS.”