On May 16, I wrote to Rob Manfred, Commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB), asking him to intervene “in a public manner as you see fit” regarding the decision by the Los Angeles Dodgers to honor a patently obscene anti-Catholic group of homosexual activists, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence; they were to be given an award on June 16 at Dodger Stadium on the “10th Annual LGBTQ+ Night.”
We also listed the email address of Manfred, allowing our huge list of email subscribers to contact him. Within 24 hours, the “Sisters” were disinvited.
On May 18, I wrote to Manfred commending him for his “diligence in confronting anti-Catholicism.”
According to Amanda Bartlett in the May 18 online edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, the decision to disinvite the “Sisters” was “quickly condemned by politicians, celebrities, activists and fans on social media, amassing thousands of responses in a matter of hours.” Too little, too late. I had already amassed “thousands of responses in a matter of hours,” galvanizing our fans to contact Manfred.
Bartlett is a dishonest reporter whose boilerplate “news” article is pure propaganda.
She emailed the Catholic League on May 18 at 12:37 p.m. ET asking for a comment about the controversy; she left her phone number. Three minutes later she was emailed the news release that I wrote. She was also told by Mike McDonald, our director of communications, that “Bill Donohue, President of the Catholic League, will give you a call shortly.”
Within an hour, I called her. I left a message for her, asking her to call me. She never called back. Had she talked to me she may not have falsely concluded that we “apparently objected to the Sisters wearing the traditional attire of nuns.”
Bartlett is wrong. If she were right, then how would she explain what I wrote in 1998. “There is a profound difference between poking gentle fun at Catholic traditions and deliberately bashing Catholic sensibilities; it is the difference between ‘Sister Act’ and Howard Stern comedy.” Similarly, in 2002, I wrote, “Whoopi Goldberg made Catholics laugh at her light-hearted antics in ‘Sister Act.’”
It is not the mere comedic portrayal of nuns in habit that is offensive—it is the vulgar antics of men in drag that is objectionable. But to reporters who find simulated sodomy to be funny—exploiting nuns while doing so—then of course they rally to the “Sisters.”
Bartlett also says that “In a statement, which is not worthy repeating in full, Donohue compared the Sisters dressing as nuns to wearing blackface.”
I think it is worth repeating in full. “In my letter [to Manfred], I said that if a group of white boys in black face—a modern day Al Jolson ensemble—were to be honored by an MLB team, there is little doubt that the event would be cancelled and sanctions would be forthcoming.”
For their part, the “Sisters” put out a statement saying, “We are a charity organization and we are human rights activists.” It would be more accurate to say they are masters of hate speech disguised as a charity.
Make no mistake, the “Sisters” have a history of trashing Jesus and mocking Our Blessed Mother. They routinely mock the Eucharist and adopt the most obscene names to describe themselves. They are a low-class group of homosexual and transgender anti-Catholic bigots.
It is worth noting that the ACLU of Southern California is so upset with the “Sisters” being ousted that they are not going to the Pride event at Dodger Stadium. We’re delighted.
Having written a Ph.D. dissertation, as well as two books and a monograph on the ACLU, I know how deeply anti-Catholic the organization is. Indeed, it has always been that way, having been founded by Roger Baldwin, an atheist, in 1920 (I interviewed him in 1978). I also know how dishonest the Southern California chapter is.
Many years ago I debated Ramona Ripston, the executive director of the Southern California chapter of the ACLU. I knew she would be dishonest, so I brought along a copy of the Union’s Policy Guide. When she disputed something I said about the ACLU, I stopped the debate at the University of California, Irvine, and asked a student to come on to the stage and read to the audience what the ACLU’s policy was. He did. I was vindicated. She lost.
I am personally happy that people like Bartlett, the ACLU and gay and trans activists are cheering the “Sisters.” We like it when we induce bigots to come out of the closet.
Contact Amanda Bartlett: Amanda.Bartlett@sfgate.com
