A Tennessee women's softball team and its coach were banned from a church league after church members learned the coach was gay, MyFoxMemphis.com reported.
In May, Jana Jacobson's team, composed of straight and gay players, discovered Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova was allowing softball teams not associated with the church to participate in summer competition.
The season was supposed to begin for the team on June 8. But they never got the chance to play.
According to Jacobson, Scotty Shows, the church's recreation minister told her that because she was a lesbian the team could not play. She was told that the team's participation would send a message to Bellevue members that the church condoned her lifestyle, the Commercial Appeal newspaper reported.
Jacobson noted that the league rules included: no alcohol, smoking or cursing and no offensive terms on uniforms. Jacobson didn’t recall any mention of a morality clause.
"Finally, in my frustration, I said that I am going to be clear. I am gay, and I find all of this to be absurd and against the word of God as I know it," Jacobson told the Commercial Appeal.
Bellevue Baptist Church did not return calls made by FoxNews.com for comment.
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