Hundreds protest Dodgers’ Pleasure Evening occasion honoring LGBTQ ‘nun’ group

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – Thousands of religious protesters held a “prayer procession” in front of Dodger Stadium on Friday night in response to the Dodgers honoring an LGBTQ “nuns” group at their Pride Night event.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence with a Community Hero Award ahead of their game against the San Francisco Giants.

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The sisters are a group of self-proclaimed queer and transgender “nuns” who focus on philanthropic work while “using humor and irreverent wit to debunk the forces of bigotry, complacency and guilt that bind the human spirit,” according to the website of the Group.

Pro-Catholic protesters hold signs outside Dodger Stadium ahead of the team’s Pride Night event. June 16, 2023. (KTLA)

“We’re just here, all faiths stand united,” Jesse Holguin, one of the protesters, told KTLA. “We are very angry that the Dodgers invited this group who mocked our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Organized by Catholics for Catholics, the rally of music, speakers and prayers took place in a corner of the stadium car park.

A flyer announcing the event called on protesters to join “in prayerful response to the Dodgers’ ungodly decision to honor the blasphemous, Christ-mocking ‘Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’.”

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The sisters are honored for their commitment to LGBTQ+ rights and support for people living with HIV and other causes.

Signs read “Satan Has No Rights” and “Stop Blasphemy” as hundreds gathered at Dodger Stadium to protest the award given to the team that led the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of queer and transgender “nuns.” honored with a Community Service Award. June 16, 2023. (KTLA)

In early May, controversy erupted when the Dodgers withdrew their original invitation to honor the sisters after receiving backlash from conservatives and Catholic organizations opposed to the group’s use of Catholic imagery.

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The decision has met with fierce opposition from lawmakers and LGBTQ+ groups.

The Dodgers eventually changed course, apologizing to the sisters and inviting them back to be honored at the team’s 10th annual Pride Night.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of self-proclaimed “queer and trans nuns,” were set to be honored with the team’s Community Hero Award. (The Sisters of Eternal Pleasure)

Dodgers star pitcher Clayton Kershaw and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles were among those who expressed displeasure at the reversal.

“We hope the Dodgers will see as many Catholics and Christians as they come out here peacefully today,” protester Anthony Rodriguez said. “We are showing that we will not give up. We drew a line in the sand and put our faith first.”

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence said Friday morning they had no problem with groups expressing themselves through protest.

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“We have many religious people who are sisters, from Christian to Muslim to Hindu, and they also take being a nun very seriously,” Sister Electra Complex told KTLA. “It’s not a mockery. We see life as a nun as a calling, a lifelong service to the LGBTQ community. We take pride in our work in every way we can, so this is by no means a mockery of religion. We take it very seriously.”

A heavy presence of LAPD officers is seen in and around Dodger Stadium during the protest and procession.

Earlier this month, the sisters were invited to the Angels Pride Night game as personal guests of Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken.