Dodgers face backlash after withdrawing Pride Night invitation

The Los Angeles Dodgers are facing criticism ahead of their upcoming LGBTQ+ Pride Night for the team’s decision not to invite a group to what is slated to be their 10th annual celebration of diversity and inclusion on June 16 at the Dodger Stadium.

The club announced on Wednesday that it is the Sisters of eternal indulgence with his Community Hero Award at a pregame ceremony that night, effectively displacing the charity, protest and street performance organization that uses humor and religious imagery to draw attention to sexual intolerance.

The decision came after heavy pressure from conservative Catholic organizations, including the Catholic League and CatholicVote, and after Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio wrote a letter to Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred questioning whether the inclusion of the Sisters or Perpetual Indulgence would be “inclusive and welcoming to Christians”.

In announcing their decision, the Dodgers noted that LGBTQ+ Pride Night had “become a meaningful tradition, highlighting not only the diversity and resilience within our fanbase, but also the impactful work of extraordinary community groups.” However, the team also said: “Given the strong feelings of those who are offended by the sisters’ participation in our night, and in an effort not to distract from the great benefits we have gained over the years of Pride Night have seen, we decide to remove them from this year’s group of honorees.”

By Thursday, what would become an upcoming party at Dodger Stadium had become a lightning rod of controversy.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center condemned the Dodgers’ decision on Thursday, demanding the team review its stance on the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence or cancel Pride Night altogether.

In part, the center’s statement read: “Given to pressure from out-of-state right-wing fundamentalists, the Dodgers succumbed to a religious minority that perpetuates a false narrative about LGBTQ+ people. They have been fed lies about the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and have therefore contributed to the ongoing anti-LGBTQ smear campaign going on in this country. In a year with more than 400 pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation on the books – many of them targeting freedom of speech, expression and the bodily autonomy of our community – the fight for LGBTQ+ rights is as critical as ever , and sadly the Dodgers chose to bow to the religious right instead of standing with our LGBTQ community.”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California also announced on Twitter that, in unity with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, “we will not participate in Pride Night.” The organization pointed out in the post that the Dodgers, who broke baseball’s color line with Jackie Robinson in 1947, had previously been “champions of inclusion.”

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence was founded in 1979 in San Francisco. According to the group’s website, members are committed to “community service, ministry and outreach to those on the margins, and to promoting human rights, respect for diversity and spiritual enlightenment.” The organization uses “wit and irreverent humor to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency and guilt that fetter the human spirit.”

Group members, who describe themselves as a “preeminent order of queer and trans nuns”, are usually dressed in outfits that depict religious images, such as the habits of nuns.

The Los Angeles branch of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulggence, who have been actively serving that community’s LGBTQ community for 27 years, would receive the award from the Dodgers.

In a statement of disappointment that the Dodgers “succumbed to pressure from persons outside the state of California and outside our community” and noting that the Dodgers had chosen to “join with us in our continued service to the public,” the group continued saying:

“We are both stupid and serious. We use our flamboyance in the service of our charitable work and message, which is, “There is room in our world for everyone to be who they are, as they are, free from shame or guilt, and living in love and joy for their own yourself.

“We would like to point out that while our LGBTQIA community is currently under attack from a small group of extremists seeking to push back society’s progress, they are a small minority and do not represent the majority of Americans’ commitment to a country that each other lives. lace in our great melting pot.”