Cincinnati Reds announcer Thom Brennaman says he's "ashamed" that he used a homophobic slur on air ... and says he's now dedicating himself to working with the LGBTQ community to grow from this experience.
"As many of you know, I said something hateful on the air Wednesday night," Brennaman said in a long op-ed posted on Cincinnati.com ... "something no one should ever say."
Brennaman says he didn't realize the homophobic F-word was "so rooted in hate and violence" -- and says he vows to never use it again.