Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass stands by his ‘personal beliefs’ after sharing anti-LGBTQ2S+ video

Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass said he stands by his “personal beliefs” just over a week after apologizing for sharing an anti-LGBTQ2S+ video on Instagram.

“Everyone is entitled to their personal beliefs, right? But also, I mean no harm towards any groups of people,” Bass said to reporters on Thursday night.

His remarks come as Bass gears up to catch the ceremonial first pitch at the Blue Jay’s Pride Night on Friday.

Bass has been facing criticism after he shared an Instagram story encouraging followers to boycott Target and Bud Light over the support they showed for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Since then, Bass has taken down the video and deleted his Instagram account.

“I felt like taking that down a second time was the right thing to do and not be a distraction to this team. Our job is to win baseball games and that’s my focus,” Bass said.

When a reporter asked the pitcher if he thought the video he shared was hateful, he responded, “I do not.”

“That’s why I posted it originally. When I look back at it, I can see how people would view it that way and that’s why I was apologetic,” he said.

On Thursday, Bass met with Pride Toronto’s executive director to “unpack” his views and reach a “better place moving forward.”

“I think it is a good second step but it is not the end of the journey,” Pride Toronto’s Sherwin Modeste said after the meeting. “I see this as a continuation of learning and this was something that we agreed on.”

The week earlier, Bass told reporters he was “truly sorry” in a brief apology acknowledging the post he shared was “hurtful to the Pride community.”