Dodgers Face Backlash After Rescinding Pride Night Invitation
By Thursday, what was supposed to be an upcoming celebration at Dodger Stadium had become a lightning rod of controversy. And based on the blowback, the force of which caught the organization off guard, the club internally is discussing potential compromise solutions, according to a team official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the situation.
The Los Angeles LGBT Center condemned the Dodgers’ decision on Thursday, demanding that the team reverse its stance on the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence or cancel Pride Night altogether.
In part, the center’s statement read: “Buckling to pressure from out-of-state, right-wing fundamentalists, the Dodgers caved to a religious minority that is perpetuating a false narrative about L.G.B.T.Q.+ people. They have been fed lies about the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and have therefore contributed to the ongoing, anti-L.G.B.T.Q. smear campaign happening in this country. In a year where over 400 pieces of anti-L.G.B.T.Q.+ legislation are on the books — many of them targeting freedom of speech, expression and the bodily autonomy of our community — the fight for L.G.B.T.Q.+ rights is as critical as ever, and unfortunately the Dodgers chose to bow to the religious right rather than stand with our L.G.B.T.Q. community.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California also announced on Twitter that, in unity with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, “we will not participate in Pride Night.” The organization pointed out in the post that the Dodgers, who broke baseball’s color line with Jackie Robinson in 1947, had previously been “champions of inclusion.”
Source: The New York Times
