Mets Pride Night Sparks Debate After Same-Sex Kiss Featured on Jumbotron

On June 12, the New York Mets hosted their annual Pride Night at Citi Field—an event intended to celebrate LGBTQ+ inclusion in baseball and the broader sports community. But this year’s celebration didn’t just make headlines for its turnout or rainbow-colored giveaways. Instead, much of the attention centered on a brief, unscripted moment: a same-sex kiss broadcast on the stadium’s Jumbotron during the national anthem.

The reaction? Mixed—and swift.

While many attendees cheered the moment as a symbol of authentic inclusion, others, particularly online, expressed outrage. Some critics argued that the kiss was inappropriate during the anthem and accused the team of politicizing what they considered a neutral, patriotic moment. Several viral posts claimed the Pride flag replaced the American flag (it did not), while others accused the team of disrespect. The Mets, for their part, have not issued a formal apology or backtrack. The event went on as planned, with rainbow flags, themed merchandise, and a performance of the national anthem by Broadway star Alex Newell. Fans who supported the gesture say it reflected the diverse makeup of both the city and its fan base. Some pointed out that heterosexual couples have long been featured kissing in stadiums without controversy.

So why did this moment trigger such a reaction?

Part of the tension may lie in the overlap between visibility and symbolism. For many, Pride Night is a celebration of inclusion—but for others, especially when tied to traditionally patriotic rituals like the national anthem, it’s interpreted as a political act. The fact that the backlash was concentrated online—primarily through conservative social media accounts and outlets—also reflects the way public reactions are shaped as much by digital discourse as by what happens in the stadium itself.

Interestingly, Mets slugger Pete Alonso entered the conversation in a quieter way. He walked up to the plate that night to the tune of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Whether it was an intentional nod to the moment or not, fans on social media quickly picked it up as a sign of subtle support for the LGBTQ+ community. The team declined to comment on his song choice, and Alonso hasn’t weighed in publicly.

For sports leagues, Pride Nights have become more common in recent years—but so has the scrutiny that follows them. The NHL faced criticism this year when several players declined to participate in Pride-themed warmups. MLB teams have largely embraced the celebrations, but the political sensitivity around any gesture perceived as “untraditional” during patriotic ceremonies has proven to be a flashpoint. What’s clear is that the expectations around what is “appropriate” in a public space like a baseball stadium are changing—or at the very least, being challenged. The divide lies not so much in the existence of Pride Nights, but in how inclusive they’re allowed to feel in real time.

For some fans, the Mets’ Jumbotron moment was overdue progress—a normalization of something long seen in the shadows. For others, it crossed a line that, in their view, should separate sports from social commentary.

Whether this moment fades into the news cycle or becomes a larger conversation for professional sports remains to be seen. What it has undeniably done is show that even a few seconds on a stadium screen can reflect far more than a game—it can reflect the cultural tension around who gets seen, when, and how.