Despite what conservatives are claiming, the LA Dodgers Pride Night on Friday was a big success.
The event did attract a Catholic-led protest outside the entrance gates, prompted by the presence inside of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, but within the stadium, the event passed without incident.
However, that's not the story being spun by those opposed to LGBTQ+ rights.
Florida's President-wannabe Ron DeSantis was among those to claim the event was a dismal failure.
"Good on the thousands who showed up at Dodger Stadium to protest this anti-Catholic hate group," he tweeted . "The virtually empty stadium for the game itself was a powerful image - Americans are fed up with the nonsense and are fighting back."
Others were quick to share footage of the Sisters being honored in front of a near-empty stadium.
Marjorie Taylor Greene joined in, praising the approximate 2,000 protestors and blasting the "disgusting embrace" of "transgender" nuns inside the stadium.
What actually happened was the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were presented with their Community Award an hour before the first ball was thrown, shortly after people began filing into the stadium.
The protest outside did temporarily shut down the main entrance, slightly slow the event filling up. However, the number of tickets sold for the game was 49,074. Some Pride Night games pre-Covid have attracted just over 50,000, but the 49,000 figure is pretty good given the average attendance at Dodgers home games recently is just over 47,800, according to Forbes.
Here is actual footage of the crowd during the game.
Another of those in attendance said that although the Sisters' appearance was brief, the small crowd applauded.
According to Outsports, every player and umpire wore Pride rainbow logos on their caps and/or jerseys. The 5-year-old son of Olympian Tom Daley and filmmaker Dustin Lance Black threw out the opening pitch.
Others clearly enjoyed the night.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are a satirical, non-profit group of drag nuns that raise money for good causes and seek to dispel the stigma often promoted by the church toward LGBTQ+ communities. The organization began in San Francisco in 1978, but now has missions in cities across the world.
Last month, the Dodgers prompted controversy by announcing that it was to present a Community Hero Award to the Los Angeles chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
When Florida's Senator Marco Rubio and the Catholic League kicked up a fuss, the Dodgers disinvited the group. When many in the LGBTQ community expressed outrage, the Dodgers backtracked and re-invited the nuns. This prompted Friday's protest outside the venue.
Unfortunately, the night did not prove a complete win for the Dodgers. They lost to the San Francisco Giants 15-0. It was their worst defeat in 125 years.
Ouch.
Of course, some so-called Christians blamed the loss on the team honoring the Sisters.
Happy Pride Month, Mike Pence
This beautiful message of support from the White House triggered many.