Massive Protest Against Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Outside Dodger Stadium Just Before Pride Night

Hours before the start of the Dodgers' Pride Night, thousands of Catholics gathered in front of the Dodger Stadium to protest the upcoming honor bestowed upon the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of LGBTQ+ nuns who were to receive a community hero award. Details below...

Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez spent his Friday afternoon Mass criticizing the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, claiming, "Religious freedom and respect for the beliefs of others are hallmarks of the nation. When God is insulted, when the beliefs of many of our neighbors are ridiculed, it diminishes all of us."

Soon after, protestors began to gather around the Dodger Stadium, mainly in parking lot 13, holding aloft banners that claimed "Dodgers sold their soul", "Men can't be sisters", "Stop disrespecting" as well as other Jesus-themed banners.

The Sisters were to receive the Community Hero Award during a pregame ceremony as part of the Dodgers' Pride Night but Catholic groups like Catholics for Catholics are finding it incredibly disrespectful to their religion as they don't consider these trans and queer women to be nuns. An article posted on the Catholics for Catholics website invited protestors, read, "All are welcome to join this event in reparation for the offenses committed against our Lord Jesus Christ and against all Christians by 'The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.'"

Now, the news is breaking about how enough protestors have gathered to nearly block Vin Scully Avenue:

When Dodgers announced they were honoring the sisters, the instant backlash (by Catholic groups and eminent spokespeople) made them rescind their Community Hero Award. After an outcry from LBTQ+ groups, they apologized and reinvited the Sisters to get the award and things have been chaotic since.

The Sisters is a satirical group of nonprofit LGBTQ+ nuns, and given their San Franciso chapters hosted a "Hunky Jesus" and "Foxy Mary" contest this Easter, other events have shown a pole-dancing Jesus Christ figure on a cross, they have drawn the ire of religious groups and leaders.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has said that the group “desecrates the Cross, profanes the Eucharist, and disrupts holy Mass” and “has caused disappointment, dismay, and pain in [the] Catholic community.”

It seems the religious users on Twitter agree, leaving comments like:

"As a Catholic, I cannot be more proud of these faith-based protests against those who attack our faith. . . ."

"Were the Dodger players going to wear skirts?"

There were some voices who wondered why people could not be more tolerant, but then again, these seemed few and far between.

Meanwhile, the Sisters recently made Elliot Page an honorary member of the group.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were founded in San Fransisco back in 1979, by a trip of gay men who dressed in an adapted nun's habit. This charity has been an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in the form of AIDS fundraisers, safe-sex pamphlets, and condom distributions ever since. They have participated in pride marches and protests to make their stance clear as well.

News of the upcoming Catholic protest has been no secret as earlier this week, the Sisters made a statement that they did have an issue with groups who decided to express themselves through protest, given that they do similar things.

In a statement given to Los Angeles Times, the Sisters said, "After 27 years of activism and protests ourselves, including the ones fighting Proposition 8 for our right to marry the ones we love, we certainly cannot complain about our fellow Angelenos expressing their First Amendment rights."