Drag `nuns' cause stir

Lindsey Horvath, Los Angeles County supervisor in the Third District and former West Hollywood city council member, will participate in the parade after riding a float in the West Hollywood Pride Parade on June 3.

“We are seeing an unprecedented dark backdrop of legislation and attacks on the LGBTQ+ community throughout the country,” she said Wednesday. That's why pride is more important than ever in Los Angeles County.”

The LGBTQ+ community took flak from conservative Christians after the L.A. Dodgers invited, then cancelled, and then re-invited the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to the team's Pride night festivities. The group members dress in drag resembling nuns, a practice seen as mocking women of faith by the Catholic Church and the Los Angeles Archdiocese.

When the group was honored by state legislators for their charitable activities, some lawmakers took umbrage.

“I have supported every Pride Month resolution throughout my time in the state legislature,” said Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, R-Yucaipa, in a statement. “However, I viewed the recognition of Sister Roma with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as a separate item about whom I heard concerns from my constituents. Respectfully, I did not applaud, acknowledge, or show support for Sister Roma on the Senate Floor.”

Horvath said the Pride celebrations are a way to open dialogue with those who oppose the events or the satirical troops, such as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. She brokered a discussion between the Sisters group, the Dodgers, opponents, and pro-LGBTQ groups that resulted in reinviting the group.

“It was through a meaningful, heartfelt dialogue where people learned from one another that a different outcome was reached,” she said. “Listening to each other and seeking understanding is what we need to do more of.”

Aaron Saenz, 46, of Duarte, a gay man with a longtime male partner who has organized numerous Pride events, said the queer and transgender community is moving rapidly, making it difficult for many people to understand. Marriage equality in the U.S. was allowed when, on June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down all bans on same-sex marriage.

“It takes time for people to process change,” Saenz said. “The idea that sexuality and gender is a spectrum — maybe there should be more time to allow people to process.”

He is still getting used to his old friend, Nicole, who transitioned to be a man. “I need to reframe my brain to say `Hi Nick” when I see him. The whole country is going through that.”

Pomona and Glendora. An Altadena LGBTQ+ Pride Walkabout runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., featuring a walk to businesses by the gay and trans community, a free picnic, live music and a “spiritual exploration” with a sing-along and talks from LGBTQ-affirming churches.

Led by Nic Arnzen, a gay member of the Altadena Town Council, a husband and a father of three who wanted a place where families could celebrate and have fun, said the Altadena event fits the category of community-supported.

“The point of Altadena Pride is definitely about visibility but it goes beyond that,” Arnzen said. “Altadena Pride is created in a way where people celebrate with the folks they run into on a daily basis. Knowing they have the support of their neighbors can make all the difference.”

At a Whittier Pride event, Saenz approached a teenager sitting on a bench looking distraught. The teen told him he was thinking of killing himself and Saenz, a former teacher, provided resources who could respond.

“At one of our events in Pasadena, a grandmother came up to me and we spent 10 minutes with her. It allowed us to answer her questions,” Saenz said.

He said there are many different kinds of LGBTQ+ people, just as are there many different kinds of Pride events. The larger ones focus on entertainment, such as LA Pride and LA Pride in the Park, which began on Friday and will continue today at the Los Angeles State Historic Park at 1245 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles. Pride in the Park on Saturday features music superstar Mariah Carey.

“The community Prides are for the communities that live there,” he said. “The big city Prides are for the party, the fun and celebrating who you are.”

Horvath says that after June, the real work begins. “After the parade is over we need to continue conversations in order to build bridges.”