The Los Angeles Dodgers announced they have apologized and re-invited the LGBTQ group Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to participate in their Pride Night celebration next month after receiving backlash over their initial decision to disinvite the group.
“After much thoughtful feedback from our various communities, honest conversations within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and generous discussions with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Los Angeles Dodgers would like to offer our sincere apologies to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, members of the LGBTQ+ community and their friends and families,” the team said in a statement posted on Twitter on Monday.
The team, who won the World Series in 2020, also said in their statement that they asked the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an LGBTQ advocacy group, to join the field on June 16 and receive an award for their work in the Los Angeles community. .
“In the coming weeks, we will continue to work with our LGBTQ+ partners to better educate ourselves, find ways to strengthen the relationships that bind and use our platform to support all our fans that embodies the diversity of the Dodgers family,” the statement concluded.
The latest decision comes days after the Dodgers initially disinvited the group from their Pride Night event, saying in a statement earlier that the decision was made due to “strong feelings of people who are offended by the inclusion of sisters in our night.”
“And in an effort not to detract from the many benefits we’ve seen over the years at Pride Night, we’ve decided to remove them from this year’s group of honorees,” the team said in a now-deleted statement.
The Dodgers made their decision after Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) sent a letter to Major League Baseball (MLB) commissioner Rob Manfred on Monday, objecting to the group’s award, saying the team gave the award to a group that “intentionally mocking and belittling” Christians and nuns.
In a statement, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence said they were proud to accept the Community Hero Award from the team, adding that they had been given a “full apology and explanation” from the team regarding the matter. .
“This event is an opportunity for learning with a silver lining. Our group is strengthened, protected and elevated to a position where we can now offer our message of hope and joy to a greater number of people. people than before,” the group said in its statement. “With great love and respect, we thank each person and each organization that spoke on our behalf. Thank you, and may your hearts be blessed with pure joy.”
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