Rep. Lauren Boebert Says MLB Players Should Be Allowed to Opt Out of Pride Night Uniform

Rep. Lauren Boebert doesn't care if pro sports teams have gay pride nights, but she's adamant ... players better get a say on whether they have to participate in those events.

TMZ DC's Jacob Wasserman spoke with the Colorado congresswoman Thursday about the controversy surrounding San Francisco Giants players who modified their Pride Night hats by adding a well-known Bible verse, from the Book of Genesis, which describes the rainbow as the symbol of God's covenant with earth.

LB says these verses don't hurt anyone ... and the players were just engaging in a quiet and subtle protest on the field.

The congresswoman says private citizens are welcome to have their "gay sex flag" -- her term for LGBTQ+ community's rainbow flag -- after all, it's a form of self-expression.

Her solution is simple ... have Pride Night, but give players the opportunity to opt out of the uniform by not wearing the hat with the rainbow-colored logo.

Worth noting, several players went that route this season -- Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen and Giants reliever Sam Hentges. The pair wore their everyday caps instead of the Pride Night editions.

Boebert also invoked Colin Kaepernick's name, claiming there's a double standard in the way the NFL treated him, and the way MLB is dealing with its players ... allegedly threatening them for writing "Genesis 9: 12-16" on their hats.

It's just another example of Christian persecution in the USA, Boebert argues ... and, she says it's making some in Congress wonder if the league still deserves its antitrust exemption.

On the flip side of the argument, our team also talked with Congressman Ritchie Torres -- the representative from New York who is openly gay -- and he says he's all for pride nights ... proving this issue is as divisive as ever in the nation's capital.