At the time, groups like the Cockettes were “flaunting the conventions of gender by mixing markers such as beards and dresses” and using white pancake makeup and glitter, recounts Melissa Wilcox in her book Queer Nuns. The order began as a public performance by gay activists who were both reacting to the hyper-masculine “ Castro Clone” look popular in San Francisco’s 1970s gay community and influenced by a growing local gay theater and dance scene. when we show up, when we are visible,, through being present, are a reflection of beauty and joy.”įashion has been integral to the Sisters from the outset. “We not only understand what to do in regards to service.

However, the Sisters have since adapted their social activism to the age of social distancing, in many ways expanding possibilities for community outreach and fashion.įounded in San Francisco in 1979, shortly before the AIDS crisis emerged, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have “operated in the midst of a pandemic for the past 40 years,” explained Sister Purrr Do of the Indiana Crossroads Sisters, who, like many, goes by a witty or sexually suggestive name and uses female gender pronouns. A photo essay about them seemed like a moot point. In-person gatherings were canceled, and the Sisters, like many Americans, went into isolation. Then March 2020 arrived, and with it, the COVID-19 pandemic. I envisioned meeting the Sisters at public events, speaking with them about their ideas of fashion and religion, and taking their portraits. Their distinctive attire would make for a vibrant photo essay. The Sisters – an international order of queer activists who playfully dress in the spirit of Catholic nuns and serve the community – seemed like a natural story to pursue. When I learned the Revealer would be publishing a special issue on religion and fashion, I immediately flashed back to this individual, who, I’d since found out, was a member of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Slowly processing down North High Street in a sundress and glitter-covered beard, he used a pink-gloved hand to give a royal wave to throngs of people on either side of the road. (Photo: Lauren Pond)Īmid the flurry of participants and floats in Ohio’s 2017 Stonewall Columbus Pride parade, one person caught my attention: a man dressed in drag and a headpiece that resembled a Roman Catholic nun’s coronet.

A Sister of Perpetual Indulgence walks in the 2017 Stonewall Pride Parade in Columbus, Ohio.

Wyrd sisters book