The 10e edition of the Dodgers’ LGBTQIA2S+ pride evening was marked by the irruption of a few hundred demonstrators from a Catholic association who came to protest against this initiative outside the stadium on Friday evening in Los Angeles.
The Phoenix-based group Catholics for Catholics held what it called “a prayer procession” in a parking lot outside the stadium.
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Several people wore red garments in honor of the sacred heart and held up signs with messages expressing their disapproval of the Dodgers’ initiative.
Among those posters was one that invoked former Dodgers handler Vin Scully, who was a practicing Catholic. We read on this poster “Wine is sad”.
Another sign said to “respect the Dodgers’ code of conduct” and not “make fun of religion.”
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Some professional sports athletes have refused, in recent years, to participate in the various events organized by their team to celebrate diversity.
Last season, five Tampa Bay Rays pitchers invoked their religion to refuse to wear Pride uniforms.
Earlier this season, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass had to apologize after speaking out on social media for supporting an anti-LGBTQIA2S+ campaign by Bud Light and Target.
A few National Hockey League (NHL) players have also decided not to wear a rainbow-style jersey during warm-ups at their team’s “Pride Nights” this season. Among these were Denis Gurianov, Ivan Provorov, Ilya Lyubushkin, Andrei Kuzmenko and the brothers Eric and Marc Staal.