There’s outrage and disappointment in the Bay Area’s LGBTQ community following the Los Angeles Dodgers’ decision to disinvite "The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence" from its Pride Night event.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is a worldwide non-profit with roots in San Francisco.
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WATCH HERESister Roma from the organization’s San Francisco chapter said they were all proud of their sisters in Los Angeles for earning the Dodgers' "Community Hero Award."
But now, they said they are shocked and worried about the impact the announcement may have on the LGBTQ community.
“I was so disappointed and so shocked that they would cave so quickly,” Sister Roma said.
The Dodgers announced Wednesday that they dropped the sisters from its Pride Night event and its list of honorees due to “the strong feelings of people who have been offended by the sisters.”
“The thing that’s really sad to me is none of these people know who the sisters are," Sister Roma said. "None of these people care to know who the sisters are."
The decision comes just days after Florida Sen. Marco Rubio sent a letter to the MLB commissioner, where he asks whether the league wants to be “inclusive and welcoming” to Christians, and if so, he asks why is he allowing an MLB team to "honor a group that mocks Christians." He added that the sisters are "men who dress in lewd imitations of roman catholic nuns.”
The hope for the sisters is for the Dodgers organization to reconsider.
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SIGN UP “The Dodgers have a lot of fans. They have a lot of queer fans. They have a lot of transgender fans. But they also have a lot of cis-white male, female fans. And for their favorite sports team to come out and support the queer community really sends a great message and it has a chance to unify people," Sister Roma said.
But until that happens, the non-profit organization is already looking ahead to Oracle Park, where Sister Roma said they’re planning a special night in memory of legendary drag performer Heklina.
Pride Night at Dodger Stadium is scheduled for June 16. While the San Francisco Giants’ own Pride Night event is scheduled for June 10.
