“It’s critical to see the Dodgers doing the right thing and showing other corporates how to stay true to your values. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have handled this week with grace and dignity. The Sisters are more worthy of Pride Night’s honor than ever.”
(New York, NY — May 23, 2023) — GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, is responding to the events of the week concerning Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a charity, protest, and drag performance organization.
The Dodgers were set to honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at their annual Pride Night in June, but announced last week that the Sisters would no longer be welcome at the event. The Sisters’ removal from the event was led by a handful of extremists with a track record of being out of touch with their own denominations. The Los Angeles LGBTQ Center, LA Pride, and the ACLU of Southern California announced they would not participate in Pride Night given this removal, and Equality California condemned it as well.
Last night, the Dodgers announced that they reversed their decision and the Dodgers will honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence on Pride Night in June.
Statement from Sarah Kate Ellis (she/her/hers), President and CEO of GLAAD in response to the news:
“Today’s news says a lot about the America I know and love: we all value fairness and equality, and we also welcome allies and friends, new and old. The Dodgers’ decision to restore fairness and honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is a win for Dodgers fans and the LGBTQ community alike. Corporate allies, like all of us, don’t always get it right the first time. But any good ally knows that, yes, it’s about words and action, but it’s also about listening. The Dodgers listened to their fans, LGBTQ people, and allies. The Dodgers got the message loud and clear: don’t let a few anti-LGBTQ extremists make decisions for your team and your fans.
“At a time when drag and LGBTQ people are under vicious attack – 160+ drag events were violently attacked or threatened over the past year – the removal of the Sisters’ honor felt like a gut punch. But it’s critical to see the Dodgers doing the right thing and showing other corporates how to stay true to your values. GLAAD has been proud to stand with the Sisters and offer strategic guidance on messaging and media outreach over the past few days. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have handled this week with grace and dignity. The Sisters are more worthy of Pride Night’s honor than ever.”
Statement from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in response to the news:
“We, the Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, are proud to accept the Community Hero Award from the Los Angeles Dodgers for our twenty-seven years of service to the LGBTQIA2S Community. … This affair has been an opportunity for learning with a silver lining. Our group has been strengthened, protected and uplifted to a position where we may now offer our message of hope and joy to far more people than before. With great love and respect, we thank each person and each organization that have spoken up for us. Thank you, and may your hearts be blessed with pure joy.”
GLAAD found that as of late April, there have been more than 160 attacks on drag performers and performances this past year. 2023 has been a record-breaking year of proposed anti-LGBTQ legislation across the country, with more than 500 proposed anti-LGBTQ bills.
