Trevor Williams slams LA Dodgers for insulting catholic traditions by inviting highly controversial LGBT group
Washington Nationals starter Trevor Williams has become the baseball world's latest voice to condemn a controversial decision by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
On June 16, the team invited The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to open the team's Pride Night celebrations at Dodger Stadium. The group has attracted a lot of attention for their provocative representation of religious symbols presented in an LGBT context.
When the team announced that they would be inviting the Sisters to the ballpark, several relgious fans of the team aired their greivances. This caused the team to rescind their invitation before issuing another with an apology.
After the group made an appearance at Dodger Stadium ahead of a visit by the San Francisco Giants, Trevor Williams decided to speak out. Williams, an eight-year veteran who signed a two-year deal with the Nats in the offseason, said the following:
"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."
The four million people that Williams is referring to are the Roman Catholics in LA County. Catholics were among the group who voiced the strongest opposition to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. This is likely due to the group's suggestive use of Catholic religious iconography in their past performances.
In 14 starts for the Washington Nationals, the worst team in the NL, Trevor Williams is 3-4 with an ERA of 4.50. A devout catholic, Williams has spoken publicly about his faith before.
STRIKING THEM OUT: Nationals' Trevor Williams rips the Los Angeles Dodgers for including an anti-Catholic drag queen group in pregame celebration.
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"STRIKING THEM OUT: Nationals' Trevor Williams rips the Los Angeles Dodgers for including an anti-Catholic drag queen group in pregame celebration." - FOX News
Trevor Williams' comments echo the concern displayed by Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw regarding the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. This past May, Kershaw came out against his team's invitation, and scheduled a "Christian Faith Night" at Dodger Stadium for later in the summer.
Trevor Williams controversy is nothing new this season
Already, several players have come out against various LGBT friendly events such as Pride Night. As such, a growing schism between the league's direction and the feelings of many of the players appears to be at a divergent stage. Hopefully, the apparent divisions will subside and every one will be able to unite and enjoy some summer baseball.