In a city full of diverse and multicultural communities, the Los Angeles Dodgers have previously held cultural game nights to invite its neighbors to the stadium. From “Filipino Heritage Night” to “Women’s Night,” special game events honor and open space for Los Angeles’ rich culture to fill the stadium. In honor of LGBTQ+ pride month, the Dodgers opened its doors to L.A.’s LGBTQ+ community set for June 16 against the San Francisco Giants.
An organization, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, was going to be honored at the Dodgers’ pride night, for their extensive work for the community. However, earlier this month, the baseball team released an official statement on their Instagram account rescinding their invitation to the sisters.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is a group of drag queens who participate in community service and raise charity efforts for the LGBTQ+ community. Originating in San Francisco, the sisters started as a service group — most notably for providing assistance in the AIDS crisis hitting the communities in the 70s and 80s. The unique charm of the group is their satirization of catholicism with their drag as nuns. The sisters’ drag represents more than their community service but a spiritual journey through sisterhood.
The sisters have faced plentiful amounts of backlash with its main criticism being their drag seen as mockery from Catholic advocacy groups such as CatholicVote. Nonprofits like CatholicVote have asked the Dodgers to stop throwing pride events. They use false claims, such as drag queens being predatory, as a basis for the cancellation of pride events. Not only are the statements inaccurate and fictitious, but it is to be recognized by the neglectful eye of the Catholic Church when it comes to the predatory behavior and sexual assault within its institution.
From this religious push and comments from Florida Senator Mark Rubio, the Dodgers called it quits and removed the sisters as an honoree. However, the team leadership would regret this decision after falling under such pressure.
The Dodgers have been known to turn away from supporting the communities it lies between. With the removal of Mexican Americans from their homes for the stadium and the Dodgers’ past, it is undeniable that the L.A.-based team did not have a great start toward building a relationship with its community. To turn their backs again and again on its fans is a disappointing move.
While the Dodgers have reinvited the sisters and have had lengthy discussions with the organization on the future moving forward, it is a predictable scene to paint from their tendency to create an unstable bond with its surrounding neighborhoods.
Some fans may argue “It’s just baseball,” but the truth is there would be no L.A. Dodgers without their fans. To disregard the damage the Dodgers have produced is plain ignorance. L.A. is a city based on community, the Dodgers continue to shred it to pieces and fail to stand alongside their fans. It is not just a ballgame, but an immeasurable impact of damage for its L.A. fans.
