Dodgers re-invite Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to Pride Night after backlash for disinviting them

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers are inviting the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence back to the team's Pride Night on June 16 after receiving backlash from the LGBTQ+ community for the move.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are a nonprofit organization that fundraises and volunteers to help the LGBTQ+ community. The group also dresses in drag as nuns, which is something some conservative Catholic organizations take issue with, claiming the LGBTQ+ group is "mocking" them.

"After much thoughtful feedback from our diverse 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 sincerest apologies to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, members of the LGBTQ+ community and their friends and families," the Dodgers said in a statement.

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The team also said the Sisters have accepted their invitation.

"We are pleased to share that they have agreed to receive the gratitude of our collective communities for the lifesaving work that they have done tirelessly for decades," the statement read.

The mayor of Anaheim has also invited the Sisters to be her personal guests at the Angels Pride Night on June 7.

"Our June 7th Pride Night is part of Major League Baseball's league-wide effort to raise awareness and promote acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. As in the past, OC Pride has assisted our Organization in the planning of this event as well as outreach to all fans throughout Southern California," an Angels spokesperson said on the mayor's invitation.

The Sisters have not said if they plan to attend the Angels Pride Night as of yet.

The L.A. branch of the Sisters said in a post on Instagram that they are happy to return to Dodgers Pride Night and accept the Community Hero Award.

"A full apology and explanation was given to us by the Dodgers staff which we accept. We believe the apology is sincere because the Dodgers have worked for 10 years with our community and as well they have asked us to continue an ongoing relationship with them," the post read, in part.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center, which pulled its own participation from the Dodgers Pride Night after the disinvitation, also put out a statement saying that they are happy with the decision to include the Sisters and they will now participate again as well.

"Today's decision by the Dodgers to publicly apologize to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and roll back their exclusion from next month's Pride Night is a step in the right direction, and we support the Sisters' vote to accept their much-deserved Community Hero Award," the statement read, in part.

As for the Dodgers, the organization said it looks forward to working with LGBTQ+ groups in the weeks ahead to strengthen ties with the community.

"In the weeks ahead, we will continue to work with our LGBTQ+ partners to better educate ourselves, find ways to strengthen the ties that bind and use our platform to support all of our fans who make up the diversity of the Dodgers family."

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