For Immediate Release from The Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. - April 10th 2024
For 28 years the mission of The Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence has been to expiate stigmatic guilt and promulgate universal joy. We have worked hard to gain the trust of our community and to honor our commitment to support our entire queer family which indivisibly includes our transgender family members.
Transphobic statements made to our title holder, J Carter, Mister Sister Leather 2024, at the March public meeting of the Los Angeles Leather Coalition (LALC) make it apparent that the LALC Board of Directors do not fully share this commitment.
Pursuant to the conduct witnessed at this meeting and a lack of substantial response after, the Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence regret to inform that we will be removing ourselves from our position as a Community Partner of the LALC.
After public accountability and transparency were requested in writing, we received a response from the Board Chairman that we felt was substandard. While the response, a written apology to J, was a step in the right direction, it did not represent the LALC Board taking public accountability, did not address the transphobia experienced from more than one member of the LALC Board, did not repair the damage caused by the statements and actions of the LALC Board, and certainly did not identify how LALC would commit to addressing future practices.
The entire membership of the Los Angeles Sisters are shocked and saddened by this instance of open transphobia and are committed to ensuring that all of our title holders are treated with the respect and dignity afforded to everyone who bears our sash, as well as all members of our leather community. We stand with J. Carter, Mister Sister Leather 2024, 1st runner up to Mister LA Leather 2024, fully and completely.
The Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence do not tolerate transphobia at any level and vow to stamp this out at every opportunity. Respecting our trans siblings is not up for debate or discussion. Trans and nonbinary individuals are valid, visible, and loved exactly as they are.
We reaffirm our commitment to our title holder and to the whole of our LGBTQIA+ community. We will continue to require accountability at all levels.
With regret,
The Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
L.A.S.P.I. STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE RE-INVITATION BY THE LA DODGERS:
We, the Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, are proud to accept the Community Hero Award from the Los Angeles Dodgers for our twenty-seven years of service to the LGBTQIA2S Community.
This morning our Abbess, Sister Dominia, and another Board member, Sister Bearonce Knows, met with the Dodgers President and CEO Stan Kasten, heads of leading Los Angeles LGBT community organizations, and members of government from West Hollywood, Los Angeles County and the State of California Legislature.
A full apology and explanation was given to us by the Dodgers staff which we accept. We believe the apology is sincere because the Dodgers have worked for 10 years with our community and as well they have asked us to continue an ongoing relationship with them. In the future, if similar pressures from outside our community arise, our two organizations will consult and assist each other in responding, alongside our colleagues at the Los Angeles LGBT Center and others from the LGBTQIA2S community, now more closely tied with the LA Dodgers than ever before.
This affair has been an opportunity for learning with a silver lining. Our group has been strengthened, protected and uplifted to a position where we may now offer our message of hope and joy to far more people than before. With great love and respect, we thank each person and each organization that have spoken up for us. Thank you, and may your hearts be blessed with pure joy.
May the games be blessed!
May the players be blessed!
May the fans be blessed!
May the beer and hot dogs flow forth in tasty abundance!
