On Monday, May 22, the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team announced that the LGBTQ+ activist group, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, are once again invited to attend the team’s 10th annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night on June 16, after rescinding the original invitation last week.
The group was initially invited to be honoured with the Community Hero Award during the event as a result of its work within the LGBTQ+ community. Founded in 1979, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is a charity protest organisation whose members dress as nuns, perform satirical acts, and raise funds for queer causes. Their purpose is to provide “community service, ministry and outreach to those on the edges, and to promoting human rights, respect for diversity and spiritual enlightenment.” Some of their main priorities are HIV awareness and providing resources for unhoused queer and trans youth.
However, the Dodgers faced criticism from conservative groups demanding that the team retract the invitation, claiming that the group mocks Catholicism. One of those to speak out against their inclusion was US Senator Marco Rubio, who called the sisters a “lewd imitation” of nuns with drag performers who “intentionally mocks and degrades Christians”.
After receiving these complaints, the Dodgers decided to uninvite the charity group.
LA Pride expressed its disappointment with the decision to cancel the group’s participation and decided that if the sisters were not welcome, it would not participate in the event either, stating: “As a result and in solidarity with our community, LA Pride will not be participating in this year’s Dodgers Pride Night event.”
As more LGBTQ+ groups and charities expressed their disappointment over the past week, the Dodgers reconsidered its decision. One week later, the sporting team offered an apology and decided to again welcome the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to the event: “We are pleased to share that they have agreed to receive the gratitude of our collective communities for the lifesaving work that they have done tirelessly for decades.”
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 22, 2023
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence warmly accepted the second invitation, sharing: “We believe the apology is sincere because the Dodgers have worked for 10 years with our community and as well they have asked us to continue an ongoing relationship with them.”
The group also acknowledged all the LGBTQ+ groups who stood up for them, saying: “With great love and respect, we thank each person and each organisation that have spoken up for us.”
In response to the news, Michael Samonte, a spokesperson for LA Pride, said: “The Dodgers have taken a good first step toward their commitment to the LGBTQ+ community by renewing their invite to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at next month’s Pride Night. We fully support the Sisters receiving their much-deserved Community Hero Award and will stand in solidarity with them at Pride Night. They continue to inspire us with their grace.”
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The LA Dodgers 2023 Pride Night is scheduled for June 16 during their game against the San Francisco Giants, with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence due to accept the Community Hero Award in a ceremony prior.
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