CV NEWS FEED // The anti-Catholic drag group that was honored by the Dodgers in June quickly distanced itself from a former member who was arrested for indecent exposure.
As The Daily Wire reported, Clinton Monroe Ellis-Gilmore was “arrested last month for masturbating at a beachfront park in California.” He
had been active in the local Eureka, California, chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence [SPI] for years, even attending a drag reading at the public school with the group back in 2018. Ellis-Gilmore appeared to go by several names in the group, including “Novice Sister Bethe Cockhim,” and “Novice Sister Man Romeo,” according to social media posts.
The Eureka House of the SPI told The Daily Wire that it “unreservedly condemn[s]” Ellis-Gilmore’s behavior, calling it “an embarrassment and a blight on our name.”
Subsequently, the group attempted to distance themselves from the arrested “Sister,” claiming that he was, in fact, not a full member.
The person arrested was in a probationary process to become a full member at one time but this process ended in October of 2020. We have a long and complex process for admitting new members to our order and we take every step to be as certain as possible that anyone admitted as a fully-professed member will not bring dishonor to our order.
We offer our most profound apologies to the community for what happened and specifically to any individuals impacted by this inexcusable behavior. It is not representative of our Order, our values, or the hundreds of individuals who serve as Sisters.
The Eureka SPI chapter added, “It is particularly frustrating for us to have to address this accusation of inexcusable behavior at a time when we know many are seeking any way to marginalize and minimize us.”
We would ask our critics to consider whether all the current and former members of their own organizations are without sin before hurling stones at our entire organization based on the alleged behavior of a former member.
>> SPI MEMBER ARRESTED FOR INDECENT EXPOSURE <<
Ellis-Gilmore’s arrest came after multiple figures on the Catholic left defended the group.
An article published by May by the Fr. James Martin-founded “LGBT Catholic Resource” Outreach claimed that the SPI “raises money for charitable causes” and cited a liberal religious sister who called them “kindred spirits.” During the same month, the self-professed Catholic mayor of Anaheim claimed that the “drag” troupe “stand[s] up for our marginalized communities.”
An exposé from CatholicVote detailed the long list of acts of sacrilege against the Church committed by the SPI. This includes but is not limited to graphically mocking the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, making a grotesque caricature of religious life, and holding an annual sexually explicit “drag” show featuring men dressed as Jesus.
Again, from CatholicVote’s previous reporting:
On June 16, the Dodgers controversially gave a “Community Hero Award” to the SPI as part of their “Pride Night” celebration. The baseball team still went through with their decision even after CatholicVote brought the “drag” troupe’s extensive history of anti-Catholicism to light.
CatholicVote also launched a million-dollar ad campaign calling on the Dodgers to disinvite the group. On the night of the controversial event, a massive peaceful protest took place outside while the Dodgers quickly and quietly went through with honoring the hate group in front of a mostly-empty stadium hours before the game.
