Republicans in the California state legislature walked out of a ceremony honoring “Sister Roma” of the anti-Catholic group Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the group mired in a controversy involving the L.A. Dodgers.
Roma, whose real name is Michael Williams, is a man who dresses in drag as a Catholic nun. The group mocks Catholic beliefs as part of a performance repertoire expressing support for alternative sexual identities.
As Breitbart News has reported, the Dodgers invited Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to the team’s annual LGBTQ+ Pride night on June 16, then uninvited them when Catholic groups complained, and re-invited them when activists in the gay community complained. Los Angeles is a heavily Catholic city, with many Catholic faithful among the team’s carefully cultivated and growing fan base of Latino baseball enthusiasts.
Republicans objected to the Democrat-dominated legislature’s decision to use Pride month not just to honor queer citizens and leaders, but specifically to elevate an anti-Catholic group. The Sacramento Bee reported:
In the Assembly, when Roma came to the front to receive her award, Republican members left the floor and retreated to the lounge in the rear of the chamber. The remaining members clapped, whooped and cheered, giving Roma a prolonged standing ovation.
…
Assemblymember Devon Mathis of Porterville was the only Republican member to speak on the Assembly’s resolution, H.R. 33. Mathis spoke briefly about religious freedom and the need for “mutual” respect that has not been displayed “from all sides,” a nod to the controversy over Roma.
…
“Hatred and bigotry are not acceptable, and if we truly want religious freedom, then respect must be mutual,” Mathis said. “Sadly, that has not been the case many times, and frankly, from all sides.
Catholic and evangelical protesters gathered on the steps of the Capitol to demonstrate against the legislature’s decision to honor Sister Roma and the group. They held a peaceful protest that included a prayer vigil.
Sister Roma was nominated for the legislative honor by State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who is also behind many of the most controversial pieces of sexual legislation in the state, including recent laws making California a “sanctuary” for transgender children seeking drugs and surgery; and a law decriminalizing loitering for the purposes of prostitution, which has reportedly led to an explosion in child prostitution on the streets.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.