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CatholicVote calls out Harris for photo with controversial Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence nuns
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CatholicVote calls out Harris for photo with controversial Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence nuns

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FIRST ON FOX – A major conservative Catholic advocacy organization calls Vice President Kamala Harris to denounce a controversial drag group whose members dress like nuns and mock Christian symbols.

CatholicVote released a $100,000 targeted ad Monday that presents photos and videos of Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, attending San Francisco Pride in 2019, where she appeared on stage with members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The Sisters, a 501(c)3 “Order of Queer and Trans Nuns,” are made up of cross-dressing artists who wear traditional religious garb and advocate for LGBTQ issues. Critics have called them an “anti-Catholic hate group.”

The 30-second ad shows clips of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence performing while sound clips accuse the group of dressing “in lewd imitations of Roman Catholic nuns who intentionally mock and degrade Christians.” He concludes by saying, “Kamala Harris is with them, not you,” echoing a line from one of former President Trump’s attack ads, which hits Harris over her support of transgender athletes practicing in women’s sports.

CatholicVote says the ad will be texted directly to one million Catholic voters in key states and sent to 750,000 activist subscribers of its e-newsletter “The Loop.”

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Kamala Harris at San Francisco Pride Event

Then-Senator Kamala Harris takes the stage as she waves to the crowd during the annual Pride Parade at the Civic Center in San Francisco, Calif., Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

It’s the latest example of conservatives accusing Harris of having a history of anti-Catholic political rhetoric and actions that Republicans hope will sway the critical voting bloc toward their cause on Election Day.

Harris came under fire from Catholic groups last week, after snubbing the Al Smith Dinner, a bipartisan fundraiser for Catholic charities typically attended by the two major party candidates. She has also been criticized by pro-life groups for her hardline stance on abortion rights, stating in an interview with NBC’s Hallie Jackson that she does not support religious exemptions for faith-based health care providers who do not want to be forced to perform abortions.

“Kamala Harris finally lost the Catholic vote,” Trump said Friday on his Truth Social platform. “The persecution of the Catholic Church by her and by the Democrats is unprecedented! Her poll numbers have dropped like a rock, both among Catholics and the rest.”

The Harris campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were at the center of national controversy last year when the Los Angeles Dodgers chose to honor the LGBTQ charity with an award on the field at Dodger Stadium during Pride Month. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) then called this decision “blasphemy”. CatholicVote launched a $1 million ad campaign that urged congregants to boycott the baseball team because of its support of the Sisters.

Video of SF Pride Main Stage shows Harris, then a junior senator from California, introduced on stage at San Francisco Pride 2019 by LGBTQ activist Sister Roma, a gay pornography director who, according to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence website, served as emcee on major stages of SF Pride, Folsom Street Fair, Castro Street Fair and Easter in the Park, “where she hosts the infamous Hunky Jesus contest.”

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence receive the Hero of the Community

LA Pride Board President Gerald Garth applauds as Sister Unity and Sister Dominia of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence receive the Community Hero Award on Pride Night before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Giants from San Francisco to Dodger Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)

Dressed in a rainbow outfit, Harris gave a brief speech at the Pride event, celebrating San Francisco’s leading role in the LGBTQ rights movement and her own support for same-sex marriage. She reminded the crowd that she had celebrated the wedding of Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, a lesbian couple, at San Francisco City Hall. Perry and Stier were the original plaintiffs in a lawsuit that successfully overturned California’s Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that said “only marriage between one man and one woman is valid or recognized in California.”

“We will fight to pass the Equality Act in America,” Harris said, referring to legislation that would ban equality-based discrimination. sexual orientation or gender identity. “We will fight to end HIV/AIDS in America. We will fight for our transgender brothers and sisters in America. And we will always stand for equality.”

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Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

Three Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence pose for a selfie during Gay Pride in Paris. (Grégory Herpé/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

A photo of Harris posing with Sister Roma at the event is featured prominently in the CatholicVote ad.

CatholicVote President Brian Burch called the Sisters “one of the most vile, bigoted and offensive anti-Catholic organizations in America,” although the group denies mocking religious women or posing a threat to believers.

“They used the crucifix as a sex prop, mocked the Virgin Mary and used Christian symbols as sex toys,” Burch told Fox News Digital in an interview. “And yet Kamala Harris was proud to stand with them and their founder. We call on Kamala Harris to disavow this highly offensive anti-Catholic hate group.”

Kamala Harris featured in CatholicVote attack ad

CatholicVote’s anti-Harris ad says: “Kamala Harris is with them. Not with you.” (YouTube screenshot | CatholicVote)

Roma told Fox News Digital that the Sisters are a “peace-loving, inclusive, compassionate and charitable organization whose members dedicate their lives to community service, fundraising and activism.”

“Although many of our members adopt the iconography of a nun, we do not mock religious women, nor do we advocate or practice hatred, hostility, or violence toward members of any religion,” Roma said. “We are a reflection of the communities we serve, working tirelessly to care for the sick, feed the hungry, fight for civil rights, raise funds for important causes and charities, spread universal joy, and atone for stigmatic guilt.

“The existence of the Sisters is not a threat to Catholics or any person of faith. The problem arises when people choose to interpret scripture to weaponize their religious beliefs and threaten the rights and even existence of queer and trans people. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have consistently highlighted the hypocrisy of many people who claim to be Christians but whose actions are anything but “Christ-like.”

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Burch insisted that most Catholics felt the opposite and demanded that Harris apologize for appearing on stage with Roma.

“The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are this terrible, vile, hateful, anti-Catholic group. And she stood with them. She must apologize. She must disavow them. And she must explain whether or not she is deal with a group of evil men who dress up to make fun of Catholic nuns, and if that’s the kind of leadership she wants to bring to this country,” he said.

“If that’s the case, I think the choice for Catholics is very obvious.”

A spokesperson for the Harris campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.