Clayton Kershaw Sends Quiet Message on Pride Night by Including Bible Rainbow Verse on His Hat Amid Mixed Reactions
On a night meant to celebrate inclusivity and LGBTQ+ pride, one of baseball’s most decorated pitchers, Clayton Kershaw, quietly made a statement of his own — and it didn’t go unnoticed. The longtime Los Angeles Dodgers ace, known as much for his devout Christian faith as his Hall of Fame-worthy fastball, took the mound on Pride Night wearing a cap marked not with a rainbow flag, but with a handwritten Bible verse reference: Genesis 9:13. For many, it was subtle. For others, it was bold. For all, it sparked a fresh wave of conversation about belief, symbolism, sports, and where all three intersect.
The verse — “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth” — originates from the story of Noah, when God makes a promise not to destroy the world by flood again. For Kershaw, it appears the verse’s meaning is spiritual and rooted in his personal convictions. But the context in which he displayed it — a game dedicated to honoring LGBTQ+ fans — meant the gesture resonated in ways far beyond his intentions.
This wasn’t the first time Kershaw’s faith has come into the spotlight. A man who hosts Christian charity events and frequently credits God for his success, Kershaw is no stranger to balancing personal beliefs with professional responsibilities. But this particular moment happened at a time when Pride celebrations in sports, especially baseball, have been under increasing scrutiny from both ends of the cultural spectrum.
Last year, the Dodgers found themselves in the national headlines when they invited and later disinvited, then reinvited the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence — a drag and activist group — to their Pride Night after receiving backlash from conservative and religious groups, including some players. Kershaw was among the Dodgers who publicly expressed concern, which later led to the team announcing the revival of Christian Faith and Family Day, an event previously shelved during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some saw this as a compromise, others as a capitulation. Either way, it was clear: the Dodgers were walking a tightrope between honoring their diverse fanbase and accommodating the diverse beliefs of their players.
Against this backdrop, Kershaw’s gesture during this year’s Pride Night feels less like a sudden surprise and more like the latest move in a series of carefully measured expressions. He didn’t protest. He didn’t speak out. He didn’t wear anything overtly critical of the event. But his decision to place a rainbow-themed Bible verse front and center speaks volumes — quietly, but unmistakably.
Fans and critics were quick to react. On social media, reactions ranged from support to condemnation. “Clayton’s always been a class act. He’s standing by his beliefs without tearing anyone else down,” one fan wrote. Another was less charitable: “It’s Pride Night. That was calculated. That verse wasn’t random. It was a message.”
Others, meanwhile, debated the meaning of the rainbow itself. In Christian theology, the rainbow is a divine promise, a sacred symbol of God’s mercy. In LGBTQ+ culture, it’s a symbol of identity, resistance, and visibility. The two meanings are not mutually exclusive — and yet, their coexistence in the same symbol often leads to cultural conflict.
In that way, Kershaw’s gesture was more than a personal note — it was a collision point in the ever-evolving dialogue between religion and modern social movements. While some argue that such intersections allow for nuance and mutual understanding, others worry they can be used to subtly undermine or reframe the original intentions of celebratory events like Pride Night.
What makes this case especially interesting is Kershaw’s reputation. He’s not a loud provocateur. He’s thoughtful, disciplined, and private. His beliefs have always been clear but rarely wielded like a weapon. For those who have followed his career, the Genesis verse was not an attack — it was a reflection. A moment where he expressed his personal faith, even if it stood in quiet contrast to the evening’s themes.
But the broader question remains: in a professional league that is both a workplace and a cultural institution, how do personal beliefs coexist with team-led efforts to support marginalized communities?
Major League Baseball has made a concerted effort in recent years to support LGBTQ+ inclusion. Pride Nights are now common across many stadiums. Players are invited — not required — to participate in themed events. But as seen with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022, when several players refused to wear Pride patches, tensions can still surface.
These are not just policy issues. They’re deeply personal, touching on identity, spirituality, and the ever-expanding expectations placed upon public figures.
In the days following the game, Kershaw did not issue a formal statement about the verse. The Dodgers declined to comment on it. There was no fallout, no disciplinary action, no press conference. It was just a moment — a quiet one — that nonetheless reverberated throughout the baseball world.
And maybe that’s part of what makes it so powerful. In an age of shouting matches and polarized headlines, Kershaw’s act was almost minimalist. He made no claim to victimhood, no declaration of culture war. He simply inscribed a verse and wore it on his cap. Whether it was a reminder to himself or a subtle signal to others, it was his way of saying: I’m here too.
In a world that often feels forced to choose sides, the reality is more complex. Faith and pride, spirituality and identity, belief and acceptance — these don’t always have to be opposing forces. But finding the balance is hard. It requires grace, conversation, and, above all, a willingness to let people live their truths without erasing others.
Kershaw’s gesture won’t end the debate. It may even intensify it. But what it does do is remind us that professional athletes, like everyone else, carry more than a uniform onto the field. They carry stories, beliefs, questions, and contradictions. Sometimes, they carry them on their sleeves — or in this case, on their caps.
As for the fans? They too are diverse — religious, LGBTQ+, conservative, progressive, indifferent, passionate. Pride Night was for them. So, perhaps, was Kershaw’s verse. Maybe that’s the paradox, and maybe that’s the point.
Baseball has long been called America’s pastime — a place where people from all walks of life gather under the same sky to watch a simple game unfold. But even there, under the stadium lights, symbols carry weight. A rainbow can mean many things. A Bible verse can too. And sometimes, two meanings can coexist in tension — not to silence each other, but to reflect the complexity of the world we all live in.
That night at Dodger Stadium, Clayton Kershaw didn’t reject the Pride rainbow. He offered another version of it. Whether you see that as harmony or contradiction says as much about you as it does about him.
