SF Giants star flips Pride Night script with Bible verse affirming the rainbow is a symbol of God's covenant as opposed to 'pride'

San Francisco Giants MLB player Landen Roupp flipped the script while wearing a hat on the team's "Pride" night, where he wrote the scripture verse Genesis 9:12-16 next to the rainbow-emblazoned logo.

The starting pitcher made the alteration to his hat, writing the words "Genesis 9:12-16" in silver just adjacent to the logo. Reliever JT Brubaker also inscribed the verses on his hat, while player Sam Hentges refused to wear the rainbow logo hat altogether.

Roupp said that there is "not hate at all" behind the gesture, and said that the rainbow is about "God's covenant and a promise that he makes to us."

"His faithfulness and His mercy. It's just something I believe in and I stand firm in that. Thankfully we live in a country where we have the freedom to believe what we want and express what we want," Roupp added when asked by reporters to comment on the hat.

"Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth," the verses say. 

The move is not unprecedented. Giants shortstop Nick Ahmed also opted to do the same, writing Genesis 9:16 on his own hat. The move was not coordinated between the different pitchers on the field, according to manager Tony Vitello.

“Just kind of a general knowledge of the individuals [who] have the freedom to do what they think is best,” Vitello said, per the New York Post. He who wore the Pride cap but didn’t weigh in on the decision by the group of players. “I do think it’s been apparent from Day 1, it’s pretty impressive how the Giants as an organization try to embrace the entire community.”

The Giants have one of the longest Pride night celebrations in the entire MLB and hosted their first official Pride night in 2000.