Baseball team the LA Dodgers have apologised for shunning queer charity organisation the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and reinvited them to their Pride event next month.

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The baseball team hosts an annual Pride night and this year the iconic Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were invited to be honoured at the event. The inclusion of the organisation upset conservative politicians and religious groups, so the sporting team told the sisters they were no longer invited.

That decision sparked criticism from the team’s LGBTIQA+ fans, LA Pride and Los Angeles Pride Centre. Facing an even bigger wave of condemnation and criticism, the Sisters have now been invited to the event again.

“After much thoughtful feedback from our diverse communities, honest conversations within the Los Angeles Dodgers organisation, and generous discussions with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Los Angeles Dodgers would like to offer our sincerest apologies to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, members of the LGBTQ+ community and their friends and families.” the club said in a statement. 

“We have asked the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to take their place on the field at our 10th Annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night on June 16th. We are pleased to share that they have agreed to receive the gratitude of our collective communities for the life saving work they have done tirelessly for decades. 

“In the weeks ahead, we will continue to work with our LGBTQ partners to better educate ourselves, find ways to strengthen the ties that bind And use our platform to support all of our fans who make up the diversity of the Dodgers family.”

In response the Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence said they would be pleased to accept the club’s Community Hero Award, sharing that their Abbess, Sister Dominia and another board member Sister Bearonce Knows had met with the club’s President and CEO Stan Kasten and accepted the apology.

“This affair has been an opportunity for learning with a silver lining.” the Sisters said thanking people who had spoken up for them and praised their longstanding work.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence began in San Francisco in 1979 and run charity events to assist the LGBTIQA+ communities as well as using performance to mock politicians and churches. The group use religious imagery and satire to draw attention to discrimination and intolerance. Their members often dress as nuns and take on comical names. Abbeys of the group are found around the globe, including in Australia.

Politician Marco Rubio, who had pushed for the Sisters to be banned, was not happy when he heard about the reversal of the decision. The senator from Florida said the club had been bullied into reversing the decision.

“Today our great country is controlled by socio-political ruling elites who don’t just tolerate anti-Christian bigotry, they encourage and celebrate it.” Senator Rubio posted to social media where he labeled the LGBTIQA+ group “anti-Catholic bigots”.

OIP Staff

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