World Series star pitcher Doolittle declines Trump invite to White House

WASHINGTON — Baseball pitcher Sean Doolittle has decided to forego a trip to the White House to celebrate the Washington Nationals’ World Series victory, saying he “just can’t” celebrate with President Donald Trump, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.

Doolittle, 33, is the only National so far to turn down the invitation to meet the president on Monday. He said one reason that he won’t go is that his wife’s parents are lesbians.

“I want to show support for them. I think that’s an important part of allyship, and I don’t want to turn my back on them,” Doolittle told the Post. Trump’s administration has banned transgender people from the U.S. military, cut funding for HIV and AIDS research and supported the right of medical providers and adoption agencies to deny services to LGBT+ people.

Doolittle also referenced Trump’s mimicking of a New York Times reporter’s disability on the campaign trail.

“I have a brother-in-law who has autism, and is a guy that mocked a disabled reporter. How would I explain that to him that I hung out with somebody who mocked the way that he talked, or the way that he moves his hands? I can’t get past that stuff.”