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

FIRST ON FOX - A leading conservative Catholic advocacy organization is calling on Vice President Kamala Harris to denounce a controversial drag group whose members dress like nuns and mock Christian symbols.

CatholicVote has released a $100,000 targeted ad on Monday that features photos and videos of Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, 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," is made up of performers in drag who wear traditional religious habits 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 soundbites accuse the group of dressing "in lewd imitation of Roman Catholic nuns that intentionally mock and degrade Christians." It concludes by stating, "Kamala Harris stands with they/them, not with you," echoing a line from one of former President Trump's attack ads, which hits Harris over her support for transgender athletes playing in women's sports. 

CatholicVote says the ad will be texted directly to one million Catholic voters in swing states and sent to 750,000 activist subscribers of its email newsletter, "The Loop." 

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

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

Harris came under fire from Catholic groups last week after she snubbed the Al Smith dinner, a bipartisan fundraiser for Catholic charities typically attended by both major party candidates. She has also been hammered by pro-life groups for her uncompromising position on abortion rights, telling NBC's Hallie Jackson in an interview she does not support religious exemptions for faith-based health care providers who do not want to be forced to perform abortions.

"Kamala Harris has finally lost the Catholic vote," Trump asserted Friday on his Truth Social platform. "Her and the Democrat’s persecution of the Catholic Church is unprecedented! Her poll numbers have dropped like a rock, both with Catholics, and otherwise." 

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

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The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence was the focus of national controversy last year when the Los Angeles Dodgers chose to honor the LGBTQ charity with an award on the field of Dodger Stadium during Pride Month. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) called the decision "blasphemy" at the time. CatholicVote started a $1 million advertising campaign that urged the faithful to boycott the baseball team over its support for the Sisters. 

Video from SF Pride Main Stage shows Harris, then California's junior senator, being 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, has served as Master of Ceremonies on the main stages of SF Pride, Folsom Street Fair, Castro Street Fair and Easter in the Park, "where she hosts the infamous Hunky Jesus Contest." 

Gerald Garth, LA Pride Board president, applauds as sister Unity and sister Dominia of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are given the Community Hero Award on Pride Night prior to the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)

Dressed in a rainbow outfit, Harris delivered brief remarks at the Pride event, celebrating San Francisco's prominent role in the movement for LGBTQ rights and her own record supporting same-sex marriage. She reminded the crowd that she officiated the marriage 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 a man and a 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 discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. "We will fight to end HIV/AIDS in America. We will fight for our transgender brothers, sisters in America. And we will always stand for equality." 

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

A picture 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," though the group denies that it mocks religious women or is a threat to people of faith.  

"They've 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 proudly stood with them and their founder. We are calling on Kamala Harris to disavow this highly offensive anti-Catholic hate group." 

CatholicVote's anti-Harris ad declares, "Kamala Harris stands with they/them. Not with you."  (YouTube screenshot | CatholicVote)

Roma told Fox News Digital the Sisters are a "peace-loving, inclusive, compassionate, and charitable organization with members who devote their lives to community service, fundraising, and activism." 

"While many of our members adopt the iconography of a Nun, we do not mock religious women or 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 minister to the sick, feed the hungry, fight for civil rights, raise money for important causes and charities, promulgate universal joy, and expiate stigmatic guilt.

"The Sisters' existence is not a threat to Catholics or any person of faith. The problem arises when people choose to interpret scripture in order to weaponize their religious beliefs and threaten the rights and even the existence of queer and trans people. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have always shone a light on the hypocrisy of many people who claim to be Christian but whose actions are anything but 'Christ-like." 

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Burch insisted that most Catholics feel differently 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 needs to apologize. She needs to disavow them. And she needs to explain whether or not she agrees with a group of perverted men who dress up to mock Catholic religious sisters, and whether that's the kind of leadership she wants to bring to this country," he said. 

"If so, 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.