The Los Angeles Dodgers have reversed course and re-invited a group known for their queer and drag affiliation to their Pride Night event after facing backlash following their last-minute ban.
The team announced the move Monday, saying the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence had agreed to appear at the June 16 event at Dodger Stadium in a game against San Francisco.
“The Los Angeles Dodgers would like to extend their sincere apologies to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and their friends and families,” the team said.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, established in San Francisco in 1979, were to accept the Community Hero Award of the night.
In a statement on its homepage, the organization describes its mission: “We use humor and irreverent wit to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency and guilt that bind the human spirit.”
On May 17, after Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, decried the group’s inclusion, the Dodgers rescinded his invitation. Rubio criticized the inclusion in a letter to Major League Baseball.
He said the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence mock Catholicism and encourage the “perversion” of Jesus’ principles.
The team didn’t expressly agree, but argued that the group’s presence would be polarizing. The move came as aggressive right-wing protesters targeted events known as “drag queen story hour” for threats and protests, and Republican-dominated legislatures in several states passed bills. anti trans.
The team may not have anticipated the response.
The following day, LA Pride, which produces the city’s eponymous annual parade and festivities celebrating LGBTQ life and culture, dropped Pride Night.
The Dodgers said the episode provides an opportunity “to better educate ourselves, find ways to strengthen the bonds that bind us together, and use our platform to support all of our fans who make up the diversity of the Dodgers family.”
LA Pride did not immediately respond to a request for comment and has yet to post any official reactions on its social media platforms.
Los Angeles LGBT Center CEO Joe Hollendoner said in a statement Monday that the team’s mea culpa was “a step in the right direction.”
“Last week’s debacle underscores the dangerous impact of the political tactics of those who seek to fan the flames of anti-LGBTQ prejudice at a time when our rights are under attack,” he said. “We must continue to be united.”