Washington Nationals pitcher Trevor Williams has voiced his deep concern over the Los Angeles Dodgers’ decision to re-invite and honor an anti-Catholic LGBT drag queen group to their annual Pride Night this year.
“As a devout Catholic, I am deeply troubled by the Dodgers’ decision to re-invite and honor the group ‘The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’ at their Pride Night this year,” Williams said in a statement.
A devout Catholic, Williams explained that he finds the group’s actions offensive and disrespectful to his religious beliefs. He asserts that Major League Baseball games should be a place where people from all walks of life feel welcomed and respected.
However, the star baseball player points out that “The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” drag queen group openly mocks and disrespects Catholics, a faith group for over 4 million people in Los Angeles County alone.
The “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” describe themselves as an “order of queer and trans nuns” who approach community service and “ministry” with a sense of irreverence. Their website states the group first appeared publicly in San Francisco on Easter Sunday, 1979.
The so-called “sisters” will be accepting a “Community Hero” award from the Los Angeles Dodgers for their work in the LGBT community at the Pride Night game. Pride Night is slated to take place on June 16 at Dodger Stadium, coinciding with a game against the San Francisco Giants.
In a video shared on social media, Bishop Robert Barron explains the sacrilegious nature of an Easter display by the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,” in which they staged a crucifixion scene with a performer acting as Jesus along with a drag queen performing a pole dance on the cross.
“For Catholics, it’s hard to imagine anything more offensive than that,” Bishop Barron said. Expressing his disbelief in what he described as discriminatory behavior by the drag queen group against Catholics, he questioned why “attacking Catholics in this disgraceful way” was not only okay by being honored by the Dodgers.
Bishop Rogers, who once threw out the first pitch at a Dodgers game, emphasized that such discrimination against the Catholic faith should not be tolerated.
By inviting and honoring this drag queen group to the June 16 game, Williams argues the organization undermines the league’s values of respect, inclusivity, and diversity, which he notes is the purpose of hosting the Pride Night.
“Creating an environment in which one group feels celebrated and honored at the expense of another is counterproductive and wrong,” Williams said in his statement. “It is a clear violation of the Dodgers’ Discrimination Policy, which explicitly states that any conduct or attire at the ballpark that is deemed to be indecent or prejudice against any particular group (or religion) is not tolerated.”
Inviting and honoring this particular drag group, in his view, seems to be a clear violation of this policy, he said.
Williams believes it is crucial for the Dodgers to reconsider their association with this group and strive to create an inclusive environment that does not demean or disrespect the religious beliefs of any fan or employee. He also encourages his fellow Catholics to reconsider their support of an organization that allows this type of “mockery of its fans” to occur.
“As Catholics, we look to Jesus Christ and the way He was treated, and we realize that any suffering in this world unites us to Him in the next,” Williams said, expressing his frustration, hurt, and disappointment regarding the situation.
Dodgers Pitcher Kershaw Pushes for Christian Faith Day
Just days after initially removing the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” from their event, the Dodgers faced significant criticism from LGBT and civil rights groups, local politicians, and even Dodgers employees. In response, last week, the organization decided to re-invite the group to participate in Pride Night.In the wake of the controversy, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, himself a devout Catholic, urged the organization to bring back Christian Faith and Family Day, which had not occurred since 2019.
Kershaw told the Los Angeles Times on Monday that he was prompted to push for the faith day after the Dodgers re-invited the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” to Pride Night.
“I think we were always going to do Christian Faith Day this year, but I think the timing of our announcement was sped up,” Kershaw told the outlet. “Picking a date and doing those different things was part of it as well. Yes, it was in response to the highlighting of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence [by the Dodgers].”
Kershaw, who held a players-only meeting in the clubhouse before Monday’s game, noted that his issue is not with the broad LGBT community, but with the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,” for what the Catholic community sees as bigoted behavior.
“This has nothing to do with the LGBTQ community or Pride or anything like that,” Kershaw said. “This is simply a group that was making fun of a religion, that I don’t agree with.”
Kershaw said he won’t boycott the Pride Night game.
