The San Francisco Giants make history by revealing the first MLB Pride Month jerseys

The San Francisco Giants have made Major League Baseball history by becoming the first team to wear rainbow-themed uniforms to honor the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month. The team will wear Pride-themed logos inspired by the 11-color Pride Progress flag on the sleeves of their jerseys as well as their hats.
The uniforms aren't just a one-off nod to Pride Month either. They'll be wearing them throughout the entire month of June. The Giants will debut the uniforms against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
The team will also donate some of the proceeds from the game to the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride Celebration Committee. The Giants will also host a "Pride Movie Night" at Oracle Park on June 11-12.
via San Francisco Giants
The decision is powerful in a league that has only had one openly gay player and that was in the '70s. Glenn Burke, who played for the Dodgers and A's from 1976 to 1979, was out to his teammates although he kept his sexuality a secret outside of the clubhouse.
To see an entire team of men wearing Pride-themed jerseys represents a sea change in attitudes toward the LGBTQ community in the sport.
"We are extremely proud to stand with the LGBTQ+ community as we kick off one of the best annual celebrations in San Francisco by paying honor to the countless achievements and contributions of all those who identify as LGBTQ+ and are allies of the LGBTQ+ community," Giants President and CEO Larry Baer tweeted in a statement.
The Giants on June 5 will become the first MLB team to wear on-field hats and jerseys with Pride Month colors \n\nhttps://bit.ly/3fZOWzW\u00a0pic.twitter.com/VoTddHbOnF— SF Giants on NBCS (@SF Giants on NBCS) 1622586383
"I'm very proud that the San Francisco Giants are taking this step," team manager Gabe Kapler told MLB. "I'm very, very proud to be a part of it, and looking forward to the impact and the support that we can provide for the LGBTQ+ community."
It makes sense for the Giants to be the first MLB team to wear Pride-themed jerseys on the field. San Francisco has historically had the highest percentage of LGBTQ citizens in the country and has been at the forefront of issues facing the community.
During Pride Month, most MLB teams have a pride game. Since 2003, 29 of the 30 teams have done some form a pride game. \n\nThe lone hold out is the Rangers. They've shown no indication they plan to have one, and declined an interview for this story.\n\nLink: https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/rangers/2021/05/31/texas-rangers-have-pledged-inclusivity-but-pride-game-remains-absent/\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/0WLAjtgURx— Sam Blum (@Sam Blum) 1622474185
A little more than half of all MLB teams are hosting Pride events this year. Some teams have had to rethink promotional nights this season in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."