MLB players say Dodgers Pride Night guest drag troupe mocks Christianity
Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw and Washington Nationals pitcher Trevor Williams tore the Los Angeles Dodgers apart for hosting a Pride Night event that will feature a popular and satirical drag troupe.
Earlier this month, the Dodgers rescinded their invitation to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at the team’s annual LGBTQ Pride event on June 16, before doing a second 180 and re-inviting the old-school charity performer group. decades, who describe themselves as a “peak order of queer and trans nuns.”
But rather than put the dispute to bed, the Dodgers’ invitation, rejection and re-engagement with the Sisters has apparently drawn ire from the two top players, who believe the group is anti-Catholic.
“As a devout Catholic, I am deeply troubled by the Dodgers’ decision to re-invite and honor ‘The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’ on their Pride Night this year,” Williams said in a statement. statement tuesday. “To invite and honor a group that blatantly and deeply offensively mocks my religion and the religion of over 4 million people in Los Angeles County alone, undermines the values of respect and inclusiveness that should be upheld by any organization.”
Representatives of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday.
Last week, at Kershaw’s requestthe Dodgers hastily scheduled a “Christian Faith and Family Day” at Dodger Stadium on July 30.
The Christian event had been held regularly at Dodger Stadium, with Kershaw as the main organizer, until 2019. It had not taken place since the pandemic, and Kershaw said he had decided to revive the event this year – speeding up planning once his team continued with Pride Night with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
“I think we were still going to do Christian Faith Day this year, but I think the timing of our announcement has been accelerated,” Kershaw told the Los Angeles Times earlier this week. “Choosing a date and doing these different things was part of that as well. Yes, it was in response to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (by the Dodgers) highlighting.
Kershaw, a surefire left-handed Hall of Fame pitcher, insisted he had no other issues with the LGBTQ community and would not boycott his team’s June 16 date with the Giants. from San Francisco.
“It has nothing to do with the LGBTQ community or Pride or anything like that,” said Kershaw, who is from suburban Dallas. “It’s just a group making fun of a religion, which I don’t agree with.”
Williams went further than Kershaw and called on Catholics to think twice about supporting the Dodgers, one of baseball’s oldest and most legendary franchises.
“I also encourage my fellow Catholics to reconsider their support for an organization that allows this type of mockery of its fans,” said Williams, a San Diego native. “I know I’m not the only one frustrated, hurt and disappointed by this situation.”
Also on Tuesday, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass apologized for asking consumers and his social media followers not to patronize companies, such as Target and Bud Light, that support human rights. LGBTQ.
“I acknowledge yesterday that I posted a message that was hurtful to the Pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members,” Bass said in a statement he read to reporters, before Toronto’s game against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. . “I’m really sorry about that.”
Bass said he told his teammates about his social media post and promised to “find me out.”
“Right now, I’m using the resources of the Blue Jays to educate myself better so I can make better decisions moving forward,” said Bass, a native of suburban Detroit. “The stadium is for everyone. We include all fans at the ballpark. We want to welcome everyone. That’s all I have to say.”
A representative for Major League Baseball could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday and a spokesperson for the MLB Players Association, the union representing players, declined to discuss the matter.
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