The Red Sox have suspended outfielder Jarren Duran for two games without pay for using a homophobic slur at a fan who booed him during a game at Fenway Park on Sunday.
The Sox said in a statement that Duran’s salary from the two-game suspension will be donated to PFLAG, the largest LGBTQ+ support, education and advocacy organization in the U.S.
Duran issued a statement after the game calling the word he used “truly awful.”
“I feel terrible thinking about how many people I have offended and disappointed,” Duran said in the statement. “I apologize to the entire Red Sox organization, but more importantly to the entire LGBTQ community. Our young fans should be able to look up to me as a role model, but tonight I fell far short of that responsibility. I will use this opportunity to educate myself and my teammates and to grow as a person.”
The team reiterated Duran’s apology in a statement and said they discussed the incident with him immediately after the game.
“We strive to be an organization that welcomes all fans to Fenway Park, and we will continue to educate our staff, players, coaches and employees about the importance of inclusivity,” the team’s statement said.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, the state’s first openly LGBTQ+ governor, was asked by reporters about the incident on Monday.
“That’s unacceptable,” Healey replied. “I’m glad he apologized. He should apologize. And there is no place for that kind of hate or intolerance in this state.”
Healey’s comments came before the team announced the two-game suspension, and when asked if she believed Duran should be disciplined, she referred it to Sox management.
“But you know, the bottom line is, it doesn’t matter if you’re a professional athlete or a regular guy on the street,” Healey said. “I mean, there are just certain things that we don’t tolerate here in the state. And that kind of language is one of them. So I’m glad he apologized.”
The use of a homophobic slur by a sports star was disappointing to advocates of the LGBTQ+ community.
“It’s hurtful,” said Jennifer Levi, senior director of transgender and queer rights at the Boston-based advocacy group GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders, also known as GLAD. “And it also shows how deeply rooted negative attitudes toward LGBTQ people still are.”
The reality, Levi said, is that homophobic slurs are widespread in places like schools and sporting events.
“Young people hear them too often in their lives,” she said. “So I’m really focused on the impact that comments like that have on people’s ability to play sports and participate in other activities and opportunities.”
Levi called Duran’s suspension and donation to PFLAG “a good starting point.”
“It is important that teams and the league take this type of misconduct seriously, and this step reflects that,” Levi said. “I hope and expect this is part of a broader education campaign aimed at all players and staff across the league.”
