Far-right commentator Tim Pool was harshly criticized after he claimed the flooding of L.A.'s Dodger Stadium due to Hurricane Hilary was actually 'God's wrath' after the team honored drag nuns The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at their Pride night.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is an LGBTQ+ charitable group known for its unique approach to advocacy. They dress as nuns to challenge the Catholic Church's stance on LGBTQ+ issues and have a history of activism in addressing the HIV epidemic and homelessness among transgender youth.
The Dodgers' initial decision to honor the Sisters was met with criticism from some conservative figures, including Sen. Marco Rubio and anti-LGBTQ+ activist Bill Donohue. This controversy led to the Dodgers withdrawing the honor, which subsequently sparked backlash from the LGBTQ+ community. The team later reinstated the honor and apologized to the Sisters.
But Pool suggested the decision to include the organization anyway meant that God was clearly very angry with Los Angeles—and sent the storm to destroy it.
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Pool said:
“It is kinda crazy, dontcha think, like when was the last time you heard about Los Angeles being hit by a hurricane?"
"I don’t know man, it’s- If someone came to me and said that they believe this is the, uh, this is God’s wrath, I’m gonna be like, ‘Well look, coincidences can happen – I’m fairly agnostic, I do believe in God.”
“I just gotta tell you, ya know, a month-and-a-half or two months after they do this drag nun thing, a city that never gets hit by hurricanes, gets hit by an earthquake and a hurricane!”
“And I’m kinda just like, ooooohhhhh.”
Pool's remark were widely condemned.
Pool's comments reflect a pattern in which some individuals have tried to correlate natural disasters with LGBTQ+ events.
Notable figures like pastor Kevin Swanson, reverend John Hagee, and the duo of televangelist Pat Robertson and evangelical leader Jerry Falwell have previously made similar claims.
They have suggested that events such as Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Katrina were divine responses to LGBTQ+ activism and acceptance. Such assertions have been widely criticized for their lack of scientific basis and their potential to perpetuate harmful stereotypes, particularly by organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The LGBTQ+ community and its allies have emphasized the importance of understanding natural disasters as complex geological phenomena rather than attempts at divine punishment.
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