Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence blasts Dodgers over Pride Night exclusion

The Guerneville chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is not happy with the Los Angeles Dodgers after the team disinvited the LGBTQ+ charity group’s Los Angeles members from its June 16 Pride Night game after backlash.

The team also took back a “Community Hero Award” the Southern California chapter was to receive.

The move came amid what the Dodgers said was growing backlash, including from Catholic organizations, to the teams plans to honor the Sisters group.

“The Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a dedicated group of nuns committed to promoting universal joy and expiating stigmatic guilt, hereby express our profound sadness in response to the recent decision made by the LA Dodgers to uninvite The LA Sisters from the Pride Night event and take back the ‘Community Hero Award.’ It is truly disheartening to witness the Dodgers' refusal to acknowledge and honor the incredible work carried out by the Sisters within the community,“ Sister Yanita Letgo of the Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence said in a written statement Thursday.

Read the full statement below:

Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Respond to LA Dodgers

The Los Angeles Times first reported on the Dodgers’ reversal.

In a tweet Wednesday, the Russian River Sisters group highlighted its charitable donations to schools, seniors, pets and nonprofits and asked the Dodgers, “What have you done for your community lately?”

A statement on the group’s website said it awarded $43,000 to more than 25 local organizations in April including Humane Society of Sonoma County, Russian Riverkeeper and Sonoma Hawks Wheelchair Basketball Team.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, which calls itself an order of queer and trans nuns, began as three men dressed in nuns’ habits in 1979 in San Francisco's Castro District. Since then, its chapters have grown across the country, with gatherings and events geared toward charitable giving.

The Dodgers’ decision emerged out of what the L.A. Times described as the latest “political and cultural maelstrom” to punctuate a sharp nationwide divide over the rights and freedoms of queer and trans people.

California, however, has largely been a bastion and legal standard-bearer for the LGBTQ+ community, so the about-face by one of its storied sports franchises appeared especially discordant given the themes of celebration and inclusion promoted for its Pride event.

The Dodgers made the announcement about the decision Tuesday, writing on Twitter that the team had invited a number of LGBTQ+ groups as part of its Pride Night programming.

“We are now aware that our inclusion of one group in particular — The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence — in this year's Pride Night has been the source of some controversy," the team’s statement said.

As reported by the Times, that backlash came in the form of letters to Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and statements by religious leaders with the Catholic League, who called the Sisters “the most despicable elements in American society today.”

The Dodgers’ decision to remove the Sisters set off a wave of protest from the organization’s Los Angeles chapter and the team’s fans, as well as Los Angeles politicians including City Council member Eunisses Hernandez and Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who both took to Twitter Wednesday to voice their disappointment with the team.

In addition to the Sisters’ North Bay chapter, the organization’s San Francisco chapter also condemned the Dodgers’s decision in a statement posted to Twitter Thursday.

In their statement, the Russian River Sisters also thanked those who took a stand against the Dodgers’ decision to exclude the group.

“The outpouring of support and solidarity from all corners has been truly inspiring. It serves as a testament to the power of unity and the ongoing fight for equality, love, and acceptance.”