Sports Business Journal | by Nona Lee
Our mission is to create a culture where diverse voices and experiences are valued.” This is the first phrase of the Dodgers’ mission statement for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) on its website. Under its “Community Investment” pillar, the organization goes on to identify “[c]ommunity partnerships to stimulate racial and social justice initiatives” as a DEI priority. Yet, while planning its tenth annual Pride Night on June 16, 2023, the organization seemed to forget its diversity mission.
As it had in years past, the Dodgers invited the Los Angeles chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a charity that raises money for LGBTQ causes and performs in drag dressed as nuns, to participate in the 2023 Pride Night festivities. In a surprising reversal, the Dodgers disinvited the Sisters, citing “the strong feelings of people who have been offended by the Sisters’ inclusion.” After receiving fierce criticism from L.A. Pride, the ACLU, and the Sisters, the Dodgers again reversed direction, reinviting the Sisters to Pride Night. The Sisters accepted the invitation, and on Pride Night received the Community Hero Award in honor of their community service and promotion of human rights (Forbes.com, 05/23/2023).