The Los Angeles Dodgers, a professional baseball team, have recently decided to disinvite the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from the team’s annual Pride Night.
The LGBTQ+ group was supposed to receive the team’s Community Hero Award during a ceremony that was to take place on June 16th, before the game against the San Francisco Giants. However, conservative Catholic groups had other plans.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were initially formed in 1979 in the Castro District of San Francisco by three men who decided to don nun costumes. Their initial appearance was indeed whimsical and playful, and they used it to protest against local and LGBTQ+ issues.
Since then, the organization has grown to have multiple loosely organized chapters around the globe, and they engage in beneficial charitable and protest work.
From the group’s mission statement, it is apparent that they are committed to community service, ministry, and outreach to those who are marginalized, including promoting human rights, diversity, and spiritual enlightenment. However, their support for the LGBTQ+ community apparently didn’t sit well with some conservative groups who were urging the Dodgers to retract the decision to honor the group, citing that it mocked the Catholic faith.
In a letter penned to Major League Baseball Commissioner, Rob Manfred, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio stated that the Sisters dress in lewd imitation of nuns, which was indeed a pushback from the Catholic community. As a result, the Dodgers made the decision to disinvite the group, which did not sit well with the members of the charitable group.
The decision by the Los Angeles Dodgers definitely sent shockwaves throughout the LGBTQ+ community, and rightfully so. The team’s decision to disinvite the Sisters comes at a time when voices of the marginalized and excluded need to be heard the most. It is an unequal world that we live in, and it is our responsibility to ensure that every single member of our communities, especially those on the edges, feel heard, seen, and protected.
It is sad to witness such discriminative behavior from people who claim that they are tolerant and open-minded. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are a charitable and beneficial organization and go out of their way to serve the community. It is disheartening to see a conservative backlash against their work.
At the core of the backlash lies the organization’s support for the LGBTQ+ community. Conservative groups have always been uncomfortable with different expressions of love, as they see it as a threat to their traditional values. However, in our modern-day world, love is love, and as a community, it is our responsibility to embrace everyone regardless of their sexual orientation or identity.
The Catholic Church, which has been on the receiving end of criticism from the LGBTQ+ community, has always held its firm stance against marriage equality. However, without formal recognition, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have been able to challenge the Church’s teachings using humor and satire, which begs the question: how long will it be before the Church comes to the table to discuss incorporating LGBTQ+ members into its fold?
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, despite facing opposition from conservative groups and from the church, have continued to do outstanding work. They have been instrumental in raising money for AIDS research and raising awareness about the disease, as well as fighting against discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. Their contributions should be celebrated, not condemned.
It is unfortunate that the Dodgers decided to buckle under pressure from outside sources, especially those that have hateful and discriminatory views. The team has missed an opportunity to embrace diversity and inclusivity, which are values that resonate with the team’s own fan base.
This incident at its core demonstrates that bigotry and intolerance can be calculated, organized, and drilled into people with significant influence. It’s no longer the case where we can say that people are afraid of the unknown; with this incident, we can see that hate and discrimination can be perpetuated among the educated and privileged members of society.
The decision by the Dodgers has sent the wrong message to their fans, who are hoping that the team will embrace diversity and inclusivity. It is essential for professional sports organizations to emphasize to their fans that love is love, and that peace, diversity, and inclusivity is the way forward.
It is also important to remember that non-violent protest, such as that of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, is a powerful tool to draw attention to the voices that have been silenced. The power of humor and satire to challenge norms and beliefs that do not stand up to scrutiny should be celebrated and should not be silenced through acts of intimidation and hate.
It’s time for us to realize that the world is not what it was, and we need to embrace diversity, no matter how uncomfortable it may make us feel. It is not enough for us to not have discriminatory views; we have to stand up against it, and that means supporting the voices that have been silenced and working towards inclusive policies that ensure the equality of every single member of our society.
In conclusion, the decision by the Dodgers to disinvite the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from the team’s annual Pride Night sends the wrong message to their fan base. The team had the opportunity to embrace diversity and inclusivity, but instead chose to side with conservative groups who hold hateful and discriminatory views. It is our responsibility as a community to support the voices of those who have been silenced and to stand up against bigotry and intolerance.