The Los Angeles Dodgers have given many comments ahead of the upcoming LGBTQ+ Pride Night over the team’s decision to withdraw the group’s invitation to its 10th annual celebration of diversity and inclusion scheduled for June 16 at Dodger Stadium. facing criticism of
The club announced Wednesday that it would no longer honor the award. Sisters of Eternal Indulgence The Community Hero Award was presented at a pre-game ceremony that evening, effectively shunning the participation of philanthropic, protest and street performers who use humor or religious imagery to call attention to sexual intolerance.
The decision resulted in several groups withdrawing from the event in protest, but strong pressure from conservative Catholic groups, including the Catholic League and the Catholic Vote, and Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio’s It was done after writing a letter to the major leagues. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred questions whether the inclusion of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence “will be inclusive and welcoming to Christians.”
of announce their decisionThe Dodgers said LGBTQ+ Pride Night “has become a meaningful tradition that not only highlights the diversity and resilience within our fan base, but also the influential efforts of exceptional community groups.” However, the team also said: “Considering the strong feelings of those who were offended by the sisters’ participation in our night, and not to turn a blind eye to the great benefits we have seen over the years of Pride Nights, we said: “We are making the decision to drop them from this year’s group of winners.”
By Thursday, what was supposed to be a celebration at Dodger Stadium became a lightning rod for controversy. And based on the strength of the organization’s surprise shock, the club is internally working on a compromise solution, according to team officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the situation. It is said that there is
It remains to be seen what form the event will take considering various groups have dropped out.
Los Angeles LGBT Center condemned the Dodgers’ decision On Thursday, he called on the franchise to back down on its stance on the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence or cancel Pride Nights altogether.
Part of the center’s statement said, “Bending under pressure from right-wing fundamentalists out of state, the Dodgers have bowed to a religious minority who perpetuates false narratives about LGBTQ+ people. They were indoctrinated into lies about the ‘Sisters of Indulgence’ and, as a result, became complicit in the country’s ongoing anti-LGBTQ smear campaign. “
Southern California American Civil Liberties Union had announced to On Wednesday night, it announced, “We will not be participating in Pride Nights,” in conjunction with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The group noted that the Dodgers, who broke baseball’s color lines with Jackie Robinson in 1947, were formerly “champions of inclusion.”
And in a third major blow, LA Pride, organizers of the LA Pride Parade and Festival, said Thursday night their organization: I don’t participate in events. The group, which claims to have organized the world’s first legal gay rights parade in 1970, said it was “extremely disappointed” by the team, which it said was a longtime partner.
Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence was founded in San Francisco in 1979. According to the organization’s website, its members are dedicated to “serving the community, ministry, helping the poor, and promoting respect for human rights, diversity and spiritual enlightenment.” The organization “uses humor and irreverent wit to expose the forces of prejudice, complacency, and guilt that bind the human psyche.”
Members of the group, which describes itself as “a cutting-edge gay and transgender nuns’ cult,” typically wear clothing that incorporates religious imagery, such as nun customs.
The Los Angeles chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, which has actively served the region’s LGBTQ community for 27 years, was to receive the award from the Dodgers.
of statement expressing disappointment It said the Dodgers were “yielding to pressure from outside California and outside our community,” and that the Dodgers had chosen to “break their alliance with us in their continued service to the nation.” pointed out, the group continued. To tell:
“We are both silly and serious. We use that pomp to serve charity and our message. , free from shame and guilt, and have room to live in love and joy for themselves.” myself.
“We would like to point out that while our LGBTQIA community is currently under attack by a minority of extremist groups seeking to reverse social progress, they are a minority and a coexisting nation. It doesn’t represent the commitment of the majority of Americans to our great melting pot.”
For the Dodgers, Pride Nights continues to grow as an integral part of each season. Last year, the Dodgers wore a custom-designed rainbow logo cap during a game for the first time, said Eric Braverman, the team’s senior vice president of marketing, communications and broadcasting. seasonal nights. “
Last year’s Pride Night kind of closed the loop by honoring Glenn Burke, the first major leaguer to come out as gay. Glenn Burke was traded to Oakland in 1978 after declining the team’s offer of $75,000 for a very nice honeymoon if he could. he marries a woman Without knowing about Burke’s personal life, the deal would have been meaningless.
Burke was a close friend of fellow gay Tommy Lasorda Jr., who died of complications from AIDS in 1991. The Dodgers’ move to pay tribute to Burke on Pride came after the team’s Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda passed away in 2021. night. Nonetheless, more than 40 of Burke’s family and friends traveled to Los Angeles for the occasion.
“Those celebrations are important,” tennis superstar Billie Jean King, a Dodgers minority shareholder and life honorary chairman of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, told The Times last year. “For a moment, slow down and think about what is being celebrated, not just the fun part, but the deeper meaning.
“There’s a lot to celebrate. But we also have to be very vigilant.”