The Los Angeles Dodgers announced it would no longer host a drag charity organization for its June 16 Pride Night.

The L.A. Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were going to be honored with the Community Hero Award for their  charity work, but the Dodgers pulled back their plans, saying people were offended by the group.

“This year, as part of a full night of programming, we invited a number of groups to join us,” the Dodgers said in a statement Wednesday. “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 Sisters believe the controversy started with Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who penned a letter to Major League Baseball, calling the Sisters “anti-catholic.”

“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…” Rubio said in his letter. “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?”

After the Dodgers announced their decision, Rubio wrote a tweet saying, “For once, common sense prevailed in California.”

The Sisters responded to the Dodgers decision and said it was based on “errant information,’ from people who are not familiar with their work.

“We are disappointed that they have chosen to un-ally themselves with us in our ongoing service to the public, many of whom enjoy the Dodgers heroic efforts in sports,” the Sisters said in a statement. “Our mission is to uplift our community and all marginalized groups, especially the ones ignored by larger organizations…”

The Sisters added that the LGBTQ+ community is being “assailed by small groups of extremists attempting to roll back society’s progress.”

The LGBTQ+ Pride Night will be the 10th annual for the Dodgers and the stadium typically offers special ticket packages with LGBTQ+ giveaways, which this year included a rainbow-colored Dodger jersey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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