Bullying children should be an easy cause to get behind.
For one retired major league All-Star, this was not the case Thursday.
Spirit Day was first observed in 2010 as a day to call attention to bullying LGBTQ+ youth. According to the website GLAAD.org,
While GLAAD research shows that LGBTQ acceptance is at an all-time high, so too is anti-LGBTQ discrimination and bullying. As online hate continues to foment real-world harm, coupled with the anti-LGBTQ climate of our day — from book bans to bans on drag, bans on LGBTQ history, and bans on healthcare — America’s youth is particularly at risk and has never needed our support more than right now. #SpiritDay gives LGBTQ youth, their parents, and allies an opportunity to see what’s possible when we lead with acceptance.
MLB teams reacted in unison on Twitter/X by posting their own Spirit Day messages. Even the Texas Rangers, the only major league team that does not host an LGBTQ-themed “night” at the ballpark, mustered the courage to support the message of Spirit Day.
Former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Zack Cozart could not.
“This sh*t is getting ridiculous,” Cozart wrote on his Twitter/X account in response to the Reds’ Spirit Day post. “… so sick of it… how many months and days do we celebrate real heroes of the military? 🤬🤬🤬”
This sh*t is getting ridiculous … so sick of it… how many months and days do we celebrate real heroes of the military? 🤬🤬🤬 https://t.co/xbdZJ8aY88
— Zack Cozart (@zack_cozart) October 17, 2024
In terms of federal holidays — which Spirit Day is not — there are at least two.
Memorial Day, observed this year on May 27, recognizes the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Veterans Day, observed this year on Nov. 11, originally honored the end of World War I in 1918. It was made a federal holiday in 1938 as a way to honor military veterans past and present.
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Cozart’s definition might also include Independence Day, observed every July 4, which commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 amid the conflict of the Revolutionary War.
ANAHEIM, CA – MAY 12: Zack Cozart #7 of shakes hands with Albert Pujols #5 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after scoring a run in the third inning of the game against the Minnesota Twins at Angel Stadium on May 12, 2018 in Anaheim, California. Cozart took umbrage with an anti-bullying post on social media by his former team.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images
It’s unclear whether Cozart’s issue is specifically with the acknowledgment that LGBTQ+ youth are subject to bullying, or merely any holiday that recognizes a non-military-related cause.
Cozart, 39, played for the Reds and Los Angeles Angels from 2011-19. He slashed .247/.300/.699 across 839 games. The peak of his career came in 2018, when he made the National League All-Star team.
The Memphis native was a second-round draft pick by the Reds out of the University of Mississippi in 2007.
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