Mariners voice opposition to since-vetoed Arizona bill
Feb 26, 2014, 4:22 PM | Updated: 5:09 pm
By Brady Henderson
The Mariners become the latest organization to publicly oppose Arizona Senate Bill 1062 Wednesday, releasing a statement in which the club denounced the controversial measure shortly before it was vetoed.
The bill – which the Arizona Legislature passed last week but was vetoed by Gov. Jan Brewer – would have allowed businesses to deny services to gay and lesbian customers based on religious objections.
“The Seattle Mariners have enjoyed 37 years of spring training in Arizona. Our fans flock to Peoria for baseball in March, and have always been made to feel welcome by the businesses and good people of Arizona. This should apply to all of our fans,” CEO Howard Lincoln said in the statement.
“The Mariners respect and value diversity. We welcome fans of all races, colors, religious beliefs, nationalities, ages, and sexual orientations. We believe that intolerance has no place in our game or society. Unfortunately, Senate Bill 1062 sends a message that not everyone is welcome. We hope Governor Brewer will reject that message.”
MLB took a similar stance Wednesday, saying it “has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment or discrimination based on sexual orientation.”
