(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The House Judiciary Committee, led by Republicans, has taken to Twitter to issue a direct threat to the Major League Baseball and its anti-trust exemption. This action follows the Los Angeles Dodgers’ association with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an anti-Catholic hate group of men who perform in drag customs as nuns.
The controversy arose when the Dodgers extended an invitation to the drag queens to their annual Pride Night, scheduled for June 16 at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Several GOP lawmakers and religious groups condemned the Dodgers for including the radical group, deeming it offensive to Catholics.
Following the conservative backlash, the Dodgers initially rescinded the invitation. However, they later reinstated it after receiving pressure from leftist LGBTQ members threatening to boycott the event.
In response to the re-invitation, the House Judiciary Committee tweeted, “Time to reconsider @MLB’s antitrust exemption?”
Time to reconsider @MLB’s antitrust exemption? https://t.co/ocLKziDQgu
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) May 24, 2023
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., referred to the LGBTQ group as “men who dress in lewd imitation of Roman Catholic nuns” in a letter addressed to MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred.
Rubio questioned whether the MLB truly aimed to be “inclusive and welcoming” to Christians, considering their endorsement of a group that ridicules the Christian faith through overtly sexualized and “diabolical” parodies.
Riley Gaines, a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer who has been the target of violent attacks by transgender individuals, voiced her opinion on the news, saying, “Open your eyes to the systemic break down of faith, family, and freedoms and what that’s meant for past civilizations. It’s not pretty.”
Echoing Gaines, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, tweeted, “The @Dodgers should be ashamed – as should @MLB.”
Correct. The @Dodgers should be ashamed – as should @MLB. This is why @RonDeSantis is completely correct to take on Disney, not back down – and it serves as a model for how we should deal with a corporate America at war with its citizenry. https://t.co/UHvAK8K22W
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) May 24, 2023
Roy is a member of the Judiciary Committee, which has taken issue with the MLB’s anti-trust exemption, which they’ve enjoyed since 1922.
The exemption provides the league with unique immunity from typical business regulations. The Supreme Court granted the exemption in 1922 during the case known as the Federal Baseball Club v. National League, ruling that baseball did not count as interstate commerce.
In February 2023, MLB’s anti-trust exemption faced scrutiny after the Justice Department requested a federal appeals court to limit the scope of the exemption in a legal filing, according to the Associated Press.