This Saturday, June 8, the Lakewood BlueClaws are hosting their first-ever 'Pride Night' when they take on the Greensboro Grasshoppers at 7:05 pm.

As you probably know, June is LGBTQ Pride Month, where most of the country (besides the Alabama government) honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan, which was a turning point for LGBTQ rights in the United States. It is also a month-long celebration of love and embracing who you are. Every year, more and more companies get behind the cause. You'll notice a lot of rainbow merchandise being sold at various businesses for the duration of June. Many sports teams are joining the trend too, and the Lakewood BlueClaws are giving it their first shot this weekend. As a matter of fact, yours truly will be one of the ceremonial first-pitch throwers.

Of course there has to be a catch to holding such an inclusive and joyful celebration, right? Take a gander at these flyers (that don't even have the date right) going around Lakewood, according to FAA Lakewood.

Anti-LGBTQ flyers
FAA Lakewood
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The smaller print at the end of the second flyer is truly a sight to behold. It reads,

"Finally, a dire warning: Hurricane Katrina which occurred in 2005 on Southern Decadence day when a gay pride parade was supposed to be held but was stopped when the dams burst. Homosexual conduct is the worst form of sinful behavior. The presence of these sinful acts is a reminder that we live in a world which has deliberately turned away from God in all sorts of ways and is therefore experiencing a foretaste of God's anger and courting its final outpouring on the day of judgement."

The man apparently leading the charge against the BlueClaws and the LGBTQ community is Rabbi Yehuda Levin. Watch the video below where Levin drones on for an eternity (nine minutes) about how harmful and sinful the Lakewood BlueClaws are, as well as other Ocean County entities, for hosting pride events of any kind. Okay, actually, it's about 60% Levin reading off his "credentials," and 40% rhetoric.

Are you exhausted or is it just me? It's people like this that serve as reminders that there is still a lot of work to be done when it comes to acceptance. My heart goes out to any closeted LGBTQ children in Lakewood who have to be burdened by not being able to live the lives they want and love who they want to love — because of people like this comparing pride events to white-supremacist rallies.

If you go to the game Saturday, you'll likely see this protest taking place as you leave the stadium. Be nice to them. They want to incite anger and hate. If you stoop to their level, they'll just say, "I told you so." If you happen to be gay or otherwise LGBTQ, by all means grab your partner and make out with them, but make sure you maintain eye contact with the protesters the entire time. Maybe you'll even convert a couple of them — after all, that's all part of the gay agenda.

Oh, and by the way, this isn't an anti-Jewish rant. This is simply anti-hate. Rabbi Yehuda Levin does not represent the beliefs of every Orthodox Jewish person, much like how Bishop Thomas Tobin doesn't represent every Catholic person.

All religions have lunatics like this. The problem is the people who have gone off the deep end tend to make the most noise. Case in point:

Happy pride!

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