Trevor Williams, a pitcher for the Washington Nationals, criticized the Los Angeles Dodgers for honoring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (SPI), a group of “queer and trans nuns” that regularly mock Catholics, at the team’s annual Pride Night.
The Dodgers initially rescinded the invite after backlash from religious groups, who argued that having the group as the guests of honor for Pride Night on June 16 was condoning the mockery of the Catholic faith. The Dodgers reinstated the invite, however, after LGBTQ groups threatened to boycott, prompting Williams to address the situation Tuesday on Twitter. (RELATED: ‘A Slap In The Face’: LA Dodgers Reinvite ‘Anti-Catholic Hate Group’ That Dresses Up As Jesus In Drag)
“As a devout Catholic, I am deeply troubled by the Dodgers’ decision to re-invite and honor the group ‘The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’ at their Pride Night this year,” Williams said in a post. “To invite and honor a group that makes a blatant and deeply offensive mockery of my religion, and the religion of over 4 million people in Los Angeles county alone, undermines the values of respect and inclusivity that should be upheld by any organization. It is a clear violation of the Dodgers’ Discrimination Policy, which explicitly states that any conduct or attire at the ballpark that is deemed to be indecent or prejudice against any particular group (or religion) is not tolerated.”
— Trevor Williams (@MeLlamoTrevor) May 30, 2023
Williams further argued that the Dodgers had “made an exception” for SPI, and chose to honor a group that “grossly disrespects and openly mocks” Catholic traditions and beliefs. The Nationals pitcher called on the Dodgers to reconsider their invitation and urged Catholics to reevaluate “their support of an organization that allows this type of mockery of its fans to occur.”
“I know I am not alone in my frustration, hurt, and disappointment about this situation,” Williams wrote. “As Catholics, we look to Jesus Christ and the way He was treated and we realize that any suffering in this world unites us to Him in the next.”
The Dodgers put out a statement on Twitter on May 22, announcing that the organization had “sincerely apologized” and would also move forward with the original plan to honor SPI with the “Community Hero award” for the “lifesaving work that they have done tirelessly for decades.” CatholicVote, an advocacy organization that was one of the first to call out the initial invite, responded to the news by announcing a $1 million ad campaign targeting the Dodgers for their decision, calling it a “slap in the face” and “anti-Catholic.”
SPI, LA Dodgers and Williams did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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