An Open Letter to the Toronto Blue Jays

You can send the Blue Jays your own feedback at fanfeedback@bluejays.com.

Hi Blue Jays! I'm a queer baseball fan who subscribed to MLBTV this year to be able to watch a larger variety of games, and I have enjoyed watching a whole bunch of Blue Jays games so far this season. I usually pick which game to watch on any given day in part based on my feelings about the pitchers involved. Now, usually - and preferably - those feelings are based on their actual pitching abilities. Unfortunately, now when I'm deciding whether to watch a Blue Jays game, you've put me in the position of thinking "Sure, I'd like to watch a Kevin Gausman or Chris Bassitt start, but does that mean I'm going to end up watching a reliever who thinks I'm evil and demonic?"

It's one thing, I suppose, to continue employing a player who amplifies hate speech and then - in his so-called apology! - doubles down on the fact that yes, according to his beliefs it is evil and demonic to support a segment of the fan base who belongs to a marginalized group. But it's quite another to center this person at a Pride event by having him catch the first pitch. Pride should center LGBTQIAP+ people. Pride should not be used as a mere vehicle for the PR rehabilitation of a straight cis man who has shown no hints of reconsidering his homophobia and transphobia. I genuinely hope that Anthony Bass does learn and grow in his beliefs, but there has been no evidence of that as yet.

I live in New Hampshire and have been looking forward to attending some Fisher Cats games this season - including their Pride Night in a few weeks - but now their affiliation with the Blue Jays is making me wonder whether that event will actually be a safe and welcoming place for me and my friends.

Thanks,

Katherine Welsh

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (6/9/23)

Well there has certainly been NEWS but it is FRIDAY so we are RESPECTING THE HAPPY LINKS. News tomorrow!

I am SO excited for this: Fellow Travelers: Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey Make Love Across Four Decades in Sweeping Showtime Limited Series — Watch First Trailer (TVLine)

Also excited for this new monthly column by Dahlia Adler! June 2023 Queer Romances (Smart Bitches, Trashy Books)

In Nashua, one group is trying to nurture residents’ curiosity to grow their own food (NHPR)

Hallmark Reveals 2023 Christmas in July Lineup, Including 2 New Movies (TV Insider)

This is so cute and I will definitely be buying it for kids in my life: Exclusive Cover Reveal: It’s Pride, Baby! by Allen R. Wells and Dia Valle (LGBTQ Reads)

!! ‘The Constant Gardener’ Limited TV Series In The Works (Deadline)

The Best Road Trip Nonfiction to Get You in the Mood for Summer (Book Riot)

This is so cool: Watching over the watchers (WaPo)

When You Wish Upon a Jewish Star (Bookishly Jewish)

The Country House Murder Mystery . . . in America (CrimeReads)

And some longer Friday reads:

Dylan Mulvaney Is Ready for Life After “Girlhood” (them)

The Most Anticipated LGBTQ YA Books of Summer 2023 (Paste)

The Stealth Campaign That’s Getting Your Kids Hooked on Chess (NYT)

Correct: These 12 Instagram Accounts Will Make You Want To Visit London Right Now (SSoP)

Fascinating if you're, uh, into this kind of thing: How Bryce Miller, the Mariners’ newest young pitcher, honed his arsenal (The Athletic)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (6/8/23)

I kept thinking yesterday was Thursday, but NOW it's Thursday.

Prosecutors Tell Trump’s Legal Team He Is a Target of Investigation (NYT)

Ukraine launches counteroffensive against Russia (WaPo)

What to Do When the Sun Turns Red (Slate)

Ugh: Judge dismisses civil rights case against NSC-131, a blow to prosecutors seeking to rein in white supremacist group (NHPR)

I see: Supreme Court justices, minus Thomas, and Alito, file financial disclosure reports (NPR)

Montana Officials Canceled a Trans Woman’s Library Event Citing Anti-Drag Law (them)

Diamond Sports vs. MLB: Breaking down details of last week’s marathon hearing (The Athletic)

New England's electric grid operator says it's ready for summer, but severe heat could prompt calls for conservation (NHPR)

Weed-spliced concrete block at flower show highlights green space disparities in Chelsea (The Guardian)

On the Enduring Charms and Sly Wit of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey (CrimeReads)

And some longer reads:

How the far right tore apart one of the best tools to fight voter fraud (NPR)

U.S. had intelligence of detailed Ukrainian plan to attack Nord Stream pipeline (WaPo)

Chris Licht Is Out at CNN, Leaving Network at a Crossroads (NYT)

How one group is bridging the gap on gender-affirming resources in New Hampshire (NHPR)

Crime and the City: Lhasa (CrimeReads)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (6/7/23)

Today is Wednesday, I guess!

This is so so scary: Glendale school district meeting about LGBTQ studies gets violent (LA Blade)

Trump Is Telling Us How He’ll Respond to Future Indictments (Slate)

Warning that a crowded GOP field helps Trump, Sununu says he's not running for president — but he'll back the nominee (NHPR)

I cannot believe (that's rhetorical; I can totally believe) we're at "he'll be fun to watch!" again. ‘A Guided Missile Aimed Rhetorically at Trump.’ Our Columnists and Writers Discuss Chris Christie. (NYT)

How Canadian wildfires are worsening U.S. air quality and what you can do to cope (NPR)

NTSB examines wreckage of plane intercepted after F-16 sonic boom (WaPo)

PGA’s ‘merger’ with LIV can’t be seen as anything other than a Saudi victory (The Guardian)

So glad she did this: Pelosi throws out first pitch during Nationals’ LGBTQ Pride event (Politico)

Rachel Maddow Expands Her NBCUniversal Podcast Empire With New Show: “Déjà News” (THR)

Astrud Gilberto, 83, Dies; Shot to Fame With ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ (NYT)

And some longer reads:

Damage to Russian-held hydroelectric plant floods south Ukraine battlefield (WaPo)

Can Africa Get Close to Vaccine Independence? Here’s What It Will Take. (NYT)

How the Pirates’ Mitch Keller transformed himself from one of MLB’s worst pitchers (The Athletic)

Why Is Everyone Watching TV With the Subtitles On? (The Atlantic)

The New Classics of Southern Crime Fiction (CrimeReads)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (6/6/23)

I guess somehow it's only Tuesday.

Nova Kakhovka dam destroyed on Ukraine’s front lines, causing flooding and evacuations (WaPo)

Jamelle Bouie: There Is One Group the Roberts Court Really Doesn’t Like (NYT)

Thanks I hate it: Oklahoma approves first US taxpayer-funded religious charter school (BBC)

Good: NH Senate votes to legalize fentanyl, xylazine test strips (NHPR)

Child Labor Is on the Rise (New Yorker)

SAG-AFTRA members approve strike authorization by overwhelming margin (LA Times)

Also: DGA Deal Provides Pay Hikes, But Streaming Residual Still Not Tied to Show’s Success (Variety)

Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent who was convicted of spying for Russia, dies in prison (NPR)

Wealthy firms buying Scottish land pose risk of greater inequality, study warns (The Guardian)

I watched this on replay last night and I'm just so happy for him: White Sox’s Liam Hendriks earns first win of season on National Cancer Survivors Day (The Athletic)

And some longer reads:

Fake Signals and American Insurance: How a Dark Fleet Moves Russian Oil (NYT)

Inside the Meltdown at CNN (The Atlantic)

The revolt of the Christian home-schoolers (WaPo)

The Swarm of Relievers (Baseball Prospectus)

How Ian Fleming Wrote Casino Royale and Changed Spy Fiction Forever (CrimeReads)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (6/5/23)

Oof, Monday again. Here's my TV news roundup at The Televixen.

Ukraine: significant escalation in fighting reported in Donetsk region (The Guardian)

China tightens access to Tiananmen Square while 32 are detained in Hong Kong (NPR)

Sonic boom in D.C. region caused by F-16s intercepting Cessna (WaPo)

The Supreme Court Has a New Bold Lone Dissenter (Slate)

Ron DeSantis’s Joyless Ride (The Atlantic)

Alabama Discriminated Against Black Residents Over Sewage, Justice Dept. Says (NYT)

Judge orders NHPR to turn over unpublished reporter material in defamation lawsuit (NHPR)

Pre-Recorded Tracks In David Byrne’s ‘Here Lies Love’ Pit Broadway Musicians Against Producers (Deadline)

A mysterious rare orchid makes its home in New Hampshire’s forests (NH Bulletin)

This was WILD: Aaron Judge breaks through Dodger Stadium gate for catch of the year candidate (Yahoo! Sports)

And some longer reads:

How a Fringe Legal Theory Became a Threat to Democracy (New Yorker)

He Told Followers to Starve to Meet Jesus. Why Did So Many Do It? (NYT)

Arizona’s water troubles show how climate change is reshaping the West (WaPo)

Prestige TV Has Taken a Page Out of Sportswriting’s Media Playbook (The Ringer)

7 Historical Novels with Mysteries at Their Center (CrimeReads)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (6/4/23)

Today is Sunday and I DEFINITELY stayed up too late reading a good book last night.

India train disaster: signal fault blamed as wreckage cleared from track (The Guardian)

NATO-trained units will serve as tip of spear in Ukraine’s counteroffensive (WaPo)

Texas Is Silencing the Will of Millions of Voters (NYT)

Good news: A federal judge rejects Tennessee's anti-drag law as too broad and vague (NPR)

I see: YouTube stops deleting false 2020 election claims (BBC)

Sure, I guess. Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington announces campaign for NH governor (NHPR)

How do you define God’s work? In defense of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (The Athletic)

Five ways the Senate budget would affect school funding (NH Bulletin)

Directors Guild Reaches Tentative Deal With Studios and Streamers (THR)

How to Freeze Pretty Much Anything (Eater)

And some longer reads:

A night in Ukraine’s sleepless capital, taking cover from Russian bombs (WaPo)

The Sound and Fury of the House Freedom Caucus (New Yorker)

A Korean American connects her past and future through photography (NPR)

The Land Beneath This Stadium Once Was Theirs. They Want It Back. (NYT)

8 of the Best LGBTQ-Inclusive Books About Parenting and Pregnancy (Book Riot)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (6/3/23)

Today is Saturday, and my plan is to do a million errands so I can finally start my garden!

This is awful: ‘Wailing for help’: passengers and bystanders tell of India train crash horror (The Guardian)

Eyes emoji: Lake Maggiore boat accident: Questions remain over spy deaths (BBC)

Oath Keeper who breached Capitol as part of 'stack' formation is sentenced to 3 years in prison (NBC News)

Twitter Faces Potential Ban In Europe After Elon Musk’s Company Pulled Back From Disinformation Rules (Deadline)

The Bad Thing Henry Kissinger Did That You Don’t Even Know About (TNR)

Fort Bragg drops Confederate name to become Fort Liberty (WaPo)

Amazon must pay over $30 million over claims it invaded privacy with Ring and Alexa (NPR)

Churchill Downs to Cease Racing as It Investigates Deaths of Horses (NYT)

Ugh: Granite Staters should expect higher-than-normal temperatures this summer (NHPR)

I've been following him since he came out a few months ago and I'm so glad he seems to be doing well: White Sox minor leaguer Anderson Comás on coming out as gay: ‘Just felt like now is the right time’ (The Athletic)

And some longer reads:

Trump Lawyer’s Notes Could Be a Key in the Classified Documents Inquiry (NYT)

‘You don’t have another option’: Inside the Biden, McCarthy debt ceiling deal (WaPo)

Pakistan’s Powerful Military Faces New Resistance From Courts (NYT)

The A’s are the Rays, and Vice-Versa (Baseball Prospectus)

I am reading this book now and this piece is so fascinating! The Lesser-Known Novel of the 1950s That Presaged Queer Liberation (LitHub)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (6/2/23) - Friday Happy Links!

Whew, we've made it to Friday! Let's take a break from the news for some happy links!

PSA: Free Doughnuts This Friday (The Takeout)

Nashua recognized for historic role in racially integrating baseball in the 1940s (NHPR)

Yay Amy! Exclusive: At Her Service by Amy Spalding Cover Reveal (frolic)

JUSTIFIED: CITY PRIMEVAL: Raylan Encounters a Chilling New Foe in New Trailer (GMMR)

Ahaha: 40 years ago, NPR had to apologize for airing 'Return of the Jedi' spoilers (NPR)

Eee: ‘Endeavour’: Shaun Evans & Roger Allam on ‘Terribly Emotional’ but ‘Very Right’ Series Finale (TV Insider)

Trader Joe’s Is a Frozen-Foods Fantasyland (Eater)

Fave Five: MG Fantasy with Nonbinary MCs (LGBTQ Reads)

‘Mad and offensive’ texts shed light on the role played by minstrels in medieval society (The Guardian)

Books and Murder: The Perfect Match (CrimeReads)

And some longer Friday reads:

How Queer-Owned Bookstores Are Celebrating Pride Month (Book Riot)

My friend KD is in this and I'm very proud!! Summer Books 2023 (NYT)

This is always fun: The 2023 Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling Race (The Atlantic)

The Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of Summer 2023 (CrimeReads)

Maybe you need to spend your Friday morning just watching a bunch of homers. I get it. Every team's hardest-hit home run (MLB)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (6/1/23)

Today is Thursday and June 1st! Happy Pride!

House approves the Biden-McCarthy debt ceiling bill as default deadline looms (NPR)

Investigators have recording of Trump acknowledging he held onto sensitive document: Sources (ABC News)

Oklahoma Supreme Court rules two abortion laws unconstitutional (KOSU)

Seoul Awoke to a Dire Alarm: ‘Prepare to Evacuate.’ Whoops. (NYT)

Indigenous leaders warn that ‘hate is raining down on us’ as voice campaign ramps up (The Guardian)

Pansexual, intersex and transgender people worst represented in LGBTQ+ media, damning survey finds (PinkNews)

Latest bid to legalize marijuana in New Hampshire bogs down in House committee (NHPR)

As NH marks Black Birders Week, organizers aim to educate about lived experiences (NH Bulletin)

The A’s Are Bad (Complimentary) (Baseball Prospectus)

Happy Pride! This company is definitely not a fair-weather ally who just wants your money! (WaPo)

And some longer reads:

Iran plans to escalate attacks against U.S. troops in Syria, documents show (WaPo)

What’s Behind Rising Tensions in Kosovo? (NYT)

Is a 1960 treaty between Pakistan and India killing the mighty Ravi River? (NPR)

Bowden’s MLB power rankings entering June and early trade deadline takes on all 30 teams (The Athletic)

8 Romantic Queer YA Books to Add to Your Reading Shelf Right Away! (Book Riot)