Los Angeles Dodgers walk back decision to honor radical, anti-Catholic LGBT group

Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers have walked back their plans to honor a group known for its “diabolical parodies” of Christian faith and LGBT advocacy after backlash this week.

As part of its “Pride Night” this June, it was revealed that the Dodgers planned to give a “Community Hero Award” to The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of drag queen performers known for lewd and blasphemous acts dressed as nuns.

Criticism of the Dodger’s original plan was swift across social media and beyond this week, and included an open letter from U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, who pointed out the group’s clear history of intentionally mocking and degrading Christians. 

“Do you believe that the Los Angeles Dodgers are being ‘inclusive and welcoming to everyone’ by giving an award to a group of gay and transgender drag performers that intentionally mocks and degrades Christians—and not only Christians, but nuns, who devote their lives to serving others?” Rubio wrote in a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. “Do you believe such an award is ‘apolitical’?  

“Do you believe it is a sound business decision, in a city with more than four million Catholics and countless other people of faith? Finally, setting aside financial considerations, do you believe it is morally right for the most important league of our national pastime to honor a group that mocks religion, and one religion in particular?” 

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence describes itself as a “leading-edge Order of queer and trans nuns” abiding by the motto, “Go forth and sin some more!” – a perversion of the words of Jesus in the biblical account of the adulterous woman, whom he tells to “Go and sin no more” after forgiving her sins.  

The group has hosted pub crawls mocking the Stations of the Cross and the Eucharist. Its “Easter” ceremony even features adult performers in drag openly mocking Jesus and Mary. 

The nuns regularly simulate sodomy dressed as nuns and perform a “Condom Saviour Consecration and Vow.” The “nuns” go by such mocking names as “Sister Homo Fellatio” and “Sister Joyous Reserectum.” 

Catholic League President Bill Donohue, who has long criticized the group, also wrote to the Manfred and summarized his concerns in a statement online. 

“The Los Angeles Dodgers have besmirched their legacy of combating bigotry by partnering with LA Pride in awarding this year’s Community Hero Award to an obscene anti-Catholic group, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,” Donohue said. 

“In my letter, I said that if a group of white boys in black face—a modern day Al Jolson ensemble—were to be honored by an MLB team, there is little doubt that the event would be cancelled and sanctions would be forthcoming.” 

After the widespread criticism, the Dodgers tweeted an announcement that they had removed the “Sisters” from their group of honorees, adding that the initial plan “has been the source of some controversy.” 

“Given the strong feelings of people who have been offended by the sisters’ inclusion in our evening, and in an effort not to distract from the great benefits that we have seen over the years of Pride Night, we are deciding to remove them from this year’s group of honorees,” the Dodgers’ official post reads. 

Rubio retweeted the Dodgers’ announcement post, commenting, “For once, common sense prevailed in California.”