Posted 2 weeks ago
Good Evening Friends, Here we are in June already…which means Gay Days in Orlando! The Orlando Sisters hosted our inaugural Red Dress Party during Gay Days 2013 at the Double Tree Resort, which is the host hotel of the long-running event.  It was so lovely seeing all the fabulous red dresses.  A large shout out goes to Sister Fresnel Lenz, who served as the point nun for the huge undertaking.  Although challenges were present, Sister Fresnel met these challenges head on with conviction and saw to it that the event would be a success.  Well done, Sister.   Our featured house this month is the San Diego house.  I was very surprised to hear of the challenges that this group faced in their infancy.  Of course, they dealt with these challenges splendidly and are now a much respected group in the San Diego Community.   A big southern hug goes out to our Sisters in Oklahoma as they deal with the devastation of horrible tornadoes this past month.  Stay strong Sisters and don’t forget to take care of your selves while you’re doing so much for your community.   Indulgence All Ways, Sister T’Keela Mockingburd and Sister Isadora Knocking  

Good Evening Friends,

Here we are in June already…which means Gay Days in Orlando! The Orlando Sisters hosted our inaugural Red Dress Party during Gay Days 2013 at the Double Tree Resort, which is the host hotel of the long-running event.  It was so lovely seeing all the fabulous red dresses.  A large shout out goes to Sister Fresnel Lenz, who served as the point nun for the huge undertaking.  Although challenges were present, Sister Fresnel met these challenges head on with conviction and saw to it that the event would be a success.  Well done, Sister.

 

Our featured house this month is the San Diego house.  I was very surprised to hear of the challenges that this group faced in their infancy.  Of course, they dealt with these challenges splendidly and are now a much respected group in the San Diego Community.

 

A big southern hug goes out to our Sisters in Oklahoma as they deal with the devastation of horrible tornadoes this past month.  Stay strong Sisters and don’t forget to take care of your selves while you’re doing so much for your community.

 

Indulgence All Ways,

Sister T’Keela Mockingburd and Sister Isadora Knocking

 

Posted 2 weeks ago
Posted 2 weeks ago
  The conversations for the formation of Sisters in San Diego started up around March of 2005. I was not present at an event at The Hole (a bar in San Diego) where some Sisters from LA were in attendance. This sparked a conversation with some individuals who would later begin the process of pulling together individuals to form a Mission of SPI in San Diego. I was not present at this event. I was not present at this new group’s first meeting, nor was I present at subsequent meetings. Not sure exactly who all was, and how many of those first meetings I missed. It seemed that I was out of town, often at a radical faerie gathering during some of these initial meetings. I returned from a Beltane Gathering at Wolfcreek Sanctuary, when I was told about a Sister house forming in San Diego. I was told that they had already closed membership, yet there were at least two in this group that said they must reserve a spot for me – saying the Sisters cannot start up in San Diego without Tommie being a part of it. In August of 2006, we gathered at Trolley Park, for a picnic on the grass. It was a Sunday. We soon processed to Bourbon Street bar for the long awaited moment when we, the 12 founders of the SD Sisters, would take our vows. It was our Exequatur. Sister Candy was administering our promises and vows, while Sister Unity was prepared to pin on our first ever black veils. We labored long and hard to write our promises and vows, and the ritual of our black veiling ceremony. When the time came, we were wrapped in extremely oversized black burlap robes, and no one wanted to go first. Sister Amanda pushed me out front causing me to be the first to go before the community present, hold the mirror, and take the promises and vows to be a fully professed Sister of the new San Diego Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Asylum of the Tortured Heart. I took my promises and vows before the community, Sister Candy, and my fellow SD Sisters, while Sister Unity did the walk of a geisha, coming up from behind and pinning my black veil to my coronet. I stood and Unity removed my extremely oversized rob as Candy introduced me to the community (no longer as Novice) as Sister Kali Vagilistic X.P. Aladocious.    What is your full name and when did you become fully professed? My full name is: Sister Kali Vagilistic X.P. Aladocious; the Yonic Nun. I became fully professed August of 2006. I am one of the founding nuns of the SD House, and as Amanda likes to remind me, I am SD Sister #1 (I was the first to take our vows).   Who is, or who do you consider your Big Sister or Mother to be within the SPI organization? Officially my Mother is Sister Candy Cide, of the LA Sisters. I also like to say that I am the illegitimate love child of Sister Candy and Sister Unity. Other Sisters who have played a notable role in my development as a Sister are Sister Mary Margaret X and Sister Lilith. I look to Sister Tragedy Ann, as she was the Mistress of Novices for the LA House when our House was a Mission under the LA House.   How has the relationship with your Big Sister/Mother influenced your Sister journey? Well… Sister Candy and I share the same exact (naval) birthday, I am just a few hours older. She tends to be a bit more conservative than me, and I value her perspective and have sought her out to expand my views and perspectives. Sister Unity and I have similar life perspectives, she has offered me a good reflection of myself providing much needed view/perspective of self. Sister Mary X has been a major influence on me as to how to live as a Sister, respecting self, and not limiting others. Sister Lilith is someone I look to as personal inspiration as to the balance of Sister and radical faery. One of the primary things I have learned from Sisters Candy, Unity, Tragedy, and the LA House is - “There is room for all of it.” Candy inspired me to push on when times got tough by telling me to “…outlast them all.”   How often does the San Diego house have general membership meetings, and how long do they usually last?  The SD House meets once a month for our General Meetings (GM). They usually last up to 2 hours.   What do you find most challenging when attending a GM meeting? I think it is important to have a balance between committing to the time necessary to adequately cover what needs to be discussed and brevity. I find it challenging to be in a meeting where others just what things to hurry up and be over, yet it is also a challenge when a topic gets discussed ad nauseum. I often remind myself: 1) to breath, and 2) there is room for all of it, and 3) what’s the worst that can happen? If the ‘worst’ is possible then of course I chime in. Most of the time, now a days, this is all a non-issue. Today our meetings are often full of laughter, love, honor, and respect.   Since the day you joined SPI, what are the biggest changes that you’ve noticed or witnessed in both the organization and yourself? The big change that I have seen in SPI in general to the mass growth and the development of the UNPC. What I have noticed as a result of the mass growth is people new to the Sisterhood (in Missions) thinking they know what it is to be a Sister. We went through this as a Mission, all 12 of us thought we knew better that the other what it is to be a Sister. There was a learning curve. I reached out to long standing Sisters and they all assured me that this was nothing more than growing pains. They were all so very right. I learned it is far more important to “BE” the Sister you wish to be, and not try to shape others into the type of Sisters you wish to be a part of. In this we have grown closer as a House. My heart has opened wider as I watched SF Sisters engaging the homeless, and the take home message I learned is that no one is “too small” for a Sister to take time out to listen and offer compassion. I have learned that we are the only organization in the world (that I know of) who’s mission is to promote healthier levels of self-esteem. This means I have to rise to myself, and connect with my authentic self, and shine a healthy level of self-esteem. We are a mirror to the community, reflecting the beauty of the community back to itself. In order to do so objectively, I believe we must polish our own mirror. Polishing our own mirror (self) allows us to reflect more cleanly and clearly (without judgment) the beauty of the community; shedding our ego self and allowing our authentic self to shine through.   If you could change anything about your journey to full profession, what would that be and why?  I feel I was born to be a Sister, and when the opportunity arrived, it was my desire to be “a part of” the amazing Sisterhood like I saw in San Francisco and LA. These were very well established communities; I needed a place where I felt a belonging. This created conflict within my heart, and my relationship with my fellow Sisters as we were starting and growing. I took a spiritual journey away from the SD House, remaining a SPI, and during this time things came into perspective for me. I learned it was my path to be a Sister “being” rather than a Sister “doing”, removing my ego from my Sister expression, as well as, the realization that I don’t “need” the House in order for me to be a Sister, this meant I did not have to defend my right to be there. Once I opened to this awakening, I knew it was time for me to return to the SD House. Leading by example became my focus and being the Sister I was born to be became my guiding light.   As the MoN of the San Diego house, what are your expectations or goals of the house for 2013? As MoN, I hope to create a safe space to foster and grow the Mother/Daughter system that I believe is foundational in the culture of SPI. It is my desire to inspire junior members to awaken to their personal Sister or Guard selves, that they awaken to the awareness of their ego-self and connect with the guiding light of the flame of their authentic self (spirit). I wish to promote the growing culture of the SD House, and grow the understanding that we ARE nuns (this is not something that we pretend) - We Are Nuns. I believe it is important to learn compassion, respect of self and others, humility, and responsibility.   What is the best part of being the Mistress of Novices for your house, and what would you say is your least favorite part. The best part of being MoN.  I find this to be an interesting question. I am not sure I have ever looked at it like this. I view it as a position of service to the House. I do enjoy watching the junior member grow along their journey, watching their Sister and Guard selves begin to emerge. The part that may be least favorite is having to be authoritative, when necessary. Not everyone is right for SPI, and it is my current responsibility to uncover this information, most of the time there are qualities that need to be shaped and polished so that an individual becomes a better “fit” for SPI. I honor the individual, it is also important to understand that junior members are coming into an established culture, it is their job to assimilate into that culture, rather than try to change that culture for their comfort and/or needs.   What are you currently most excited about? I am currently most excited about the future of your House, its culture, and our growing relationship with the community. We are currently working on updating our By Laws and PnP’s, it is our goal to remove all the cultural related stuff and place that into a Handbook, and keep the corporate business related material in the By Laws and PnP’s. This is what SF and LA have already done, and I believe it will help us to grow the culture of the SD House and grow the strength of the House as well. I believe, at the heart beat of SPI is the bonding between the Mother/Big Sisters and Daughters (and guards), this, to me, fosters those familial bonds that are more suited to addressing behavioral modification when necessary (as opposed to the membership as a whole and/or within a general meeting).   If you were asked to give advice to a mission house that was going through the process of becoming a fully professed house, what would that advice be? Manifest as much as possible with long-time established Houses; this helps to provide a broader perspective as to what it is to be a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence. Also, breathe! There is no rush, take your time, and grow together. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. You are creating a relationship with each other, and just like any relationship, there are stages of development. It takes a lot of work to start a House, following the Exequatur, there is often a feeling of burnout, take it easy on yourself - this is normal. We focus so much of our energy on serving the community we often forget to care for ourselves. Take care of yourself, if you don’t, you will not have it to give to the community.   What does being an SPI member mean to you, personally?  To me personally, being a member of SPI means - expressing myself fully, with dignity, honor, and respect - to have fun, and be proud of who I am as a person and my sexual expression. To me, we are sacred clowns, Heyoka “Principally, the Heyókȟa functions both as a mirror and a teacher, using extreme behaviors to mirror others, thereby forcing them to examine their own doubts, fears, hatreds, and weaknesses. Heyókȟas also have the power to heal emotional pain; such power comes from the experience of shame—they sing of shameful events in their lives, beg for food, and live as clowns. They provoke laughter in distressing situations of despair and provoke fear and chaos when people feel complacent and overly secure, to keep them from taking themselves too seriously or believing they are more powerful than they are.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heyoka)  I view this as a spiritual path, and a shamanic work. It has definitely been the piece in my life that brought all the aspects of my life into cohesion, rather than being compartmentalized, it became more like facets on one gem. In one word, give your description of the SPI organization. GLITTER!  

 

The conversations for the formation of Sisters in San Diego started up around March of 2005. I was not present at an event at The Hole (a bar in San Diego) where some Sisters from LA were in attendance. This sparked a conversation with some individuals who would later begin the process of pulling together individuals to form a Mission of SPI in San Diego. I was not present at this event. I was not present at this new group’s first meeting, nor was I present at subsequent meetings. Not sure exactly who all was, and how many of those first meetings I missed. It seemed that I was out of town, often at a radical faerie gathering during some of these initial meetings. I returned from a Beltane Gathering at Wolfcreek Sanctuary, when I was told about a Sister house forming in San Diego. I was told that they had already closed membership, yet there were at least two in this group that said they must reserve a spot for me – saying the Sisters cannot start up in San Diego without Tommie being a part of it.

In August of 2006, we gathered at Trolley Park, for a picnic on the grass. It was a Sunday. We soon processed to Bourbon Street bar for the long awaited moment when we, the 12 founders of the SD Sisters, would take our vows. It was our Exequatur. Sister Candy was administering our promises and vows, while Sister Unity was prepared to pin on our first ever black veils. We labored long and hard to write our promises and vows, and the ritual of our black veiling ceremony. When the time came, we were wrapped in extremely oversized black burlap robes, and no one wanted to go first. Sister Amanda pushed me out front causing me to be the first to go before the community present, hold the mirror, and take the promises and vows to be a fully professed Sister of the new San Diego Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Asylum of the Tortured Heart. I took my promises and vows before the community, Sister Candy, and my fellow SD Sisters, while Sister Unity did the walk of a geisha, coming up from behind and pinning my black veil to my coronet. I stood and Unity removed my extremely oversized rob as Candy introduced me to the community (no longer as Novice) as Sister Kali Vagilistic X.P. Aladocious. 

 

What is your full name and when did you become fully professed?

My full name is: Sister Kali Vagilistic X.P. Aladocious; the Yonic Nun. I became fully professed August of 2006. I am one of the founding nuns of the SD House, and as Amanda likes to remind me, I am SD Sister #1 (I was the first to take our vows).

 

Who is, or who do you consider your Big Sister or Mother to be within the SPI organization?

Officially my Mother is Sister Candy Cide, of the LA Sisters. I also like to say that I am the illegitimate love child of Sister Candy and Sister Unity. Other Sisters who have played a notable role in my development as a Sister are Sister Mary Margaret X and Sister Lilith. I look to Sister Tragedy Ann, as she was the Mistress of Novices for the LA House when our House was a Mission under the LA House.

 

How has the relationship with your Big Sister/Mother influenced your Sister journey?

Well… Sister Candy and I share the same exact (naval) birthday, I am just a few hours older. She tends to be a bit more conservative than me, and I value her perspective and have sought her out to expand my views and perspectives. Sister Unity and I have similar life perspectives, she has offered me a good reflection of myself providing much needed view/perspective of self. Sister Mary X has been a major influence on me as to how to live as a Sister, respecting self, and not limiting others. Sister Lilith is someone I look to as personal inspiration as to the balance of Sister and radical faery. One of the primary things I have learned from Sisters Candy, Unity, Tragedy, and the LA House is - “There is room for all of it.” Candy inspired me to push on when times got tough by telling me to “…outlast them all.”

 

How often does the San Diego house have general membership meetings, and how long do they usually last? 

The SD House meets once a month for our General Meetings (GM). They usually last up to 2 hours.

 

What do you find most challenging when attending a GM meeting?

I think it is important to have a balance between committing to the time necessary to adequately cover what needs to be discussed and brevity. I find it challenging to be in a meeting where others just what things to hurry up and be over, yet it is also a challenge when a topic gets discussed ad nauseum. I often remind myself: 1) to breath, and 2) there is room for all of it, and 3) what’s the worst that can happen? If the ‘worst’ is possible then of course I chime in. Most of the time, now a days, this is all a non-issue. Today our meetings are often full of laughter, love, honor, and respect.

 

Since the day you joined SPI, what are the biggest changes that you’ve noticed or witnessed in both the organization and yourself?

The big change that I have seen in SPI in general to the mass growth and the development of the UNPC. What I have noticed as a result of the mass growth is people new to the Sisterhood (in Missions) thinking they know what it is to be a Sister. We went through this as a Mission, all 12 of us thought we knew better that the other what it is to be a Sister. There was a learning curve. I reached out to long standing Sisters and they all assured me that this was nothing more than growing pains. They were all so very right. I learned it is far more important to “BE” the Sister you wish to be, and not try to shape others into the type of Sisters you wish to be a part of. In this we have grown closer as a House. My heart has opened wider as I watched SF Sisters engaging the homeless, and the take home message I learned is that no one is “too small” for a Sister to take time out to listen and offer compassion. I have learned that we are the only organization in the world (that I know of) who’s mission is to promote healthier levels of self-esteem. This means I have to rise to myself, and connect with my authentic self, and shine a healthy level of self-esteem. We are a mirror to the community, reflecting the beauty of the community back to itself. In order to do so objectively, I believe we must polish our own mirror. Polishing our own mirror (self) allows us to reflect more cleanly and clearly (without judgment) the beauty of the community; shedding our ego self and allowing our authentic self to shine through.

 

If you could change anything about your journey to full profession, what would that be and why? 

I feel I was born to be a Sister, and when the opportunity arrived, it was my desire to be “a part of” the amazing Sisterhood like I saw in San Francisco and LA. These were very well established communities; I needed a place where I felt a belonging. This created conflict within my heart, and my relationship with my fellow Sisters as we were starting and growing. I took a spiritual journey away from the SD House, remaining a SPI, and during this time things came into perspective for me. I learned it was my path to be a Sister “being” rather than a Sister “doing”, removing my ego from my Sister expression, as well as, the realization that I don’t “need” the House in order for me to be a Sister, this meant I did not have to defend my right to be there. Once I opened to this awakening, I knew it was time for me to return to the SD House. Leading by example became my focus and being the Sister I was born to be became my guiding light.

 

As the MoN of the San Diego house, what are your expectations or goals of the house for 2013?

As MoN, I hope to create a safe space to foster and grow the Mother/Daughter system that I believe is foundational in the culture of SPI. It is my desire to inspire junior members to awaken to their personal Sister or Guard selves, that they awaken to the awareness of their ego-self and connect with the guiding light of the flame of their authentic self (spirit). I wish to promote the growing culture of the SD House, and grow the understanding that we ARE nuns (this is not something that we pretend) - We Are Nuns. I believe it is important to learn compassion, respect of self and others, humility, and responsibility.

 

What is the best part of being the Mistress of Novices for your house, and what would you say is your least favorite part.

The best part of being MoN.  I find this to be an interesting question. I am not sure I have ever looked at it like this. I view it as a position of service to the House. I do enjoy watching the junior member grow along their journey, watching their Sister and Guard selves begin to emerge. The part that may be least favorite is having to be authoritative, when necessary. Not everyone is right for SPI, and it is my current responsibility to uncover this information, most of the time there are qualities that need to be shaped and polished so that an individual becomes a better “fit” for SPI. I honor the individual, it is also important to understand that junior members are coming into an established culture, it is their job to assimilate into that culture, rather than try to change that culture for their comfort and/or needs.

 

What are you currently most excited about?

I am currently most excited about the future of your House, its culture, and our growing relationship with the community. We are currently working on updating our By Laws and PnP’s, it is our goal to remove all the cultural related stuff and place that into a Handbook, and keep the corporate business related material in the By Laws and PnP’s. This is what SF and LA have already done, and I believe it will help us to grow the culture of the SD House and grow the strength of the House as well. I believe, at the heart beat of SPI is the bonding between the Mother/Big Sisters and Daughters (and guards), this, to me, fosters those familial bonds that are more suited to addressing behavioral modification when necessary (as opposed to the membership as a whole and/or within a general meeting).

 

If you were asked to give advice to a mission house that was going through the process of becoming a fully professed house, what would that advice be?

Manifest as much as possible with long-time established Houses; this helps to provide a broader perspective as to what it is to be a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence. Also, breathe! There is no rush, take your time, and grow together. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. You are creating a relationship with each other, and just like any relationship, there are stages of development. It takes a lot of work to start a House, following the Exequatur, there is often a feeling of burnout, take it easy on yourself - this is normal. We focus so much of our energy on serving the community we often forget to care for ourselves. Take care of yourself, if you don’t, you will not have it to give to the community.

 

What does being an SPI member mean to you, personally? 

To me personally, being a member of SPI means - expressing myself fully, with dignity, honor, and respect - to have fun, and be proud of who I am as a person and my sexual expression. To me, we are sacred clowns, Heyoka “Principally, the Heyókȟa functions both as a mirror and a teacher, using extreme behaviors to mirror others, thereby forcing them to examine their own doubts, fears, hatreds, and weaknesses. Heyókȟas also have the power to heal emotional pain; such power comes from the experience of shame—they sing of shameful events in their lives, beg for food, and live as clowns. They provoke laughter in distressing situations of despair and provoke fear and chaos when people feel complacent and overly secure, to keep them from taking themselves too seriously or believing they are more powerful than they are.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heyoka)  I view this as a spiritual path, and a shamanic work. It has definitely been the piece in my life that brought all the aspects of my life into cohesion, rather than being compartmentalized, it became more like facets on one gem.

In one word, give your description of the SPI organization.

GLITTER!

 

Posted 2 weeks ago
Please give me your Sister name and when you became fully professed.  Sister Hecate of the Bodacious Tatas, Objects of Eternal Envy.  Fully professed in August of 2006.   When and how did you first hear of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence organization? I have known about the Sisters since the early 90’s, when I spotted some of them on the streets of San Francisco.    What about this organization caused you to want to be involved in founding an Order of SPI in San Diego? I loved the mission statement and the fact that they/we cross so many boundaries in communities.  San Diego had a need for a group that could do that successfully.  I also loved the glam!   What do you think was the most challenging part of beginning the process of founding the San Diego Order? Since San Diego is such a conservative community, both the straight and gay portions of it, we had to find a way to shake them up without alienating them.  This is definitely NOT San Francisco or even Los Angeles and we had to tread lightly.  Also, all the legalities of forming the non-profit organization were a bit overwhelming at times.  We wanted to just get out there and do it, but we had to make sure we had all our duckies in a row.   Did the initial group of the Mission House encounter growing pains?  And what was learned from those pains? Oh my god, YES!!  We had a group of Type-A personalities that were extremely passionate about the mission we were undertaking.  We all had a vision of what that mission looked like and, while that vision was similar, it was definitely not exactly the same.  We had to learn how to work with each other to accomplish this.  What we learned is that we each have a voice and that is a valid voice.  We do not have to agree all the time and we don’t even have to like each other all the time.  But, we became a family and learned to accept each other’s differences and odd little habits.  The adversity we encountered with starting this House helped us to be able to handle and help the community with the adversities they face.   Being a founding member of your house, did you go through the process of first being a postulant or novice, or were you just considered a founding member and basically have the same rights as a fully professed sister? No, we did not go through the postulant/novice/fully professed process the same way a new member of an established House does.  We wore white veils from the beginning and were considered novices by the other Houses.  Since we didn’t have a mentor house very close, we basically had to function as fully professed in our community.  We all had voting privileges and held the House offices.  The community looked at us as Sisters, not novice Sisters, so we needed to act like we knew what we were doing, even when we didn’t…!   How did the community react to the Sisters on the first manifestation in San Diego.  They didn’t quite know what to do with us.  Many people thought we were visiting from Los Angeles or San Francisco (we all look alike, you know…!).  When they first found out that we were THEIR Sisters, they were very happy and welcoming, for the most part.  We did encounter some resistance from some people, but most of the folks we met up with loved us.   Did you find any challenges when dealing with the community for the first time? If so, what were the challenges? As noted above, one of the challenges was convincing them that we were theirs!  Another challenge was the conservative atmosphere here.  We were questioned by a few people as to why we felt we needed to be so “freaky”.  We even encountered one gentleman that had a problem with our big, glitzy crosses.  He felt that we were in some way ridiculing Christians or Catholics.   Now that your house has been established for quite some time, what is the biggest difference in your house now from when it was first founded (not speaking of the number of members, of course)? I think the biggest difference is the diversity within the House itself.  We have been fortunate to attract people from all across the different communities here.  We have men, women, straight, gay, bisexual and dykes.  We are now doing much more politically motivated events than we did at first, and this is driven by some of our newer members.  We are completely accepted in our community now and that has given us the freedom to spread our wings more and participate in a more diverse sort of events.    If you could go back to the days of the order’s initial founding, what changes would you make, if any?  You know, I don’t think I’d change a thing about the initial founding.  With all the issues and problems, fights and disagreements, questioning and the like, we learned more about who we are as people and as Sisters than we would have if things had been easier.   What advice would you give to a newly formed Mission House or any group that is considering the possibility of starting a house? BE PATIENT!!  Give yourselves time to grow into Sisterhood.  You do not have to do it right the first time, you just have to have the passion to grow.  Take a really good look at YOUR community and figure out what it needs.  You are not San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego.  You are YOUR city and that is what you need to figure out the need for.  Each city is different and unique and wonderful.  Figure out what is right and works for your House.   Do you have just as much excitement about being a Sister now, as you did when you were assisting with the founding of your Order? It’s a different kind of excitement, but yes, I have as much now as I did then.  Sometimes I get tired and really, really don’t want to put on face and go out, but the majority of the time, I love being a Sister.  It’s actually the best thing I’ve ever done!   In one word (and one word only) please describe the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Oh, you bitch…  Okay, here you go:  LOVE  

Please give me your Sister name and when you became fully professed. 

Sister Hecate of the Bodacious Tatas, Objects of Eternal Envy.  Fully professed in August of 2006.

 

When and how did you first hear of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence organization?

I have known about the Sisters since the early 90’s, when I spotted some of them on the streets of San Francisco. 

 

What about this organization caused you to want to be involved in founding an Order of SPI in San Diego?

I loved the mission statement and the fact that they/we cross so many boundaries in communities.  San Diego had a need for a group that could do that successfully.  I also loved the glam!

 

What do you think was the most challenging part of beginning the process of founding the San Diego Order?

Since San Diego is such a conservative community, both the straight and gay portions of it, we had to find a way to shake them up without alienating them.  This is definitely NOT San Francisco or even Los Angeles and we had to tread lightly.  Also, all the legalities of forming the non-profit organization were a bit overwhelming at times.  We wanted to just get out there and do it, but we had to make sure we had all our duckies in a row.

 

Did the initial group of the Mission House encounter growing pains?  And what was learned from those pains?

Oh my god, YES!!  We had a group of Type-A personalities that were extremely passionate about the mission we were undertaking.  We all had a vision of what that mission looked like and, while that vision was similar, it was definitely not exactly the same.  We had to learn how to work with each other to accomplish this.  What we learned is that we each have a voice and that is a valid voice.  We do not have to agree all the time and we don’t even have to like each other all the time.  But, we became a family and learned to accept each other’s differences and odd little habits.  The adversity we encountered with starting this House helped us to be able to handle and help the community with the adversities they face.

 

Being a founding member of your house, did you go through the process of first being a postulant or novice, or were you just considered a founding member and basically have the same rights as a fully professed sister?

No, we did not go through the postulant/novice/fully professed process the same way a new member of an established House does.  We wore white veils from the beginning and were considered novices by the other Houses.  Since we didn’t have a mentor house very close, we basically had to function as fully professed in our community.  We all had voting privileges and held the House offices.  The community looked at us as Sisters, not novice Sisters, so we needed to act like we knew what we were doing, even when we didn’t…!

 

How did the community react to the Sisters on the first manifestation in San Diego. 

They didn’t quite know what to do with us.  Many people thought we were visiting from Los Angeles or San Francisco (we all look alike, you know…!).  When they first found out that we were THEIR Sisters, they were very happy and welcoming, for the most part.  We did encounter some resistance from some people, but most of the folks we met up with loved us.

 

Did you find any challenges when dealing with the community for the first time? If so, what were the challenges?

As noted above, one of the challenges was convincing them that we were theirs!  Another challenge was the conservative atmosphere here.  We were questioned by a few people as to why we felt we needed to be so “freaky”.  We even encountered one gentleman that had a problem with our big, glitzy crosses.  He felt that we were in some way ridiculing Christians or Catholics.

 

Now that your house has been established for quite some time, what is the biggest difference in your house now from when it was first founded (not speaking of the number of members, of course)?

I think the biggest difference is the diversity within the House itself.  We have been fortunate to attract people from all across the different communities here.  We have men, women, straight, gay, bisexual and dykes.  We are now doing much more politically motivated events than we did at first, and this is driven by some of our newer members.  We are completely accepted in our community now and that has given us the freedom to spread our wings more and participate in a more diverse sort of events. 

 

If you could go back to the days of the order’s initial founding, what changes would you make, if any? 

You know, I don’t think I’d change a thing about the initial founding.  With all the issues and problems, fights and disagreements, questioning and the like, we learned more about who we are as people and as Sisters than we would have if things had been easier.

 

What advice would you give to a newly formed Mission House or any group that is considering the possibility of starting a house?

BE PATIENT!!  Give yourselves time to grow into Sisterhood.  You do not have to do it right the first time, you just have to have the passion to grow.  Take a really good look at YOUR community and figure out what it needs.  You are not San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego.  You are YOUR city and that is what you need to figure out the need for.  Each city is different and unique and wonderful.  Figure out what is right and works for your House.

 

Do you have just as much excitement about being a Sister now, as you did when you were assisting with the founding of your Order?

It’s a different kind of excitement, but yes, I have as much now as I did then.  Sometimes I get tired and really, really don’t want to put on face and go out, but the majority of the time, I love being a Sister.  It’s actually the best thing I’ve ever done!

 

In one word (and one word only) please describe the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

Oh, you bitch…  Okay, here you go:  LOVE

 

Posted 2 weeks ago
Posted 2 weeks ago
Please give me your Sister name and when you became fully professed.  Sister Amanda Reckinwith, The Scarlet Harlot (formerly of The Sparkling Scarlet Rouge) aka Sister Storm aka Brother Love, J.V., The Capuchin Jew First Veil:  21 May 2005 Missionary Status:  8 June 2005 Fully Professed Vows:  12 Aug 2006 Vows of Perpetuity:  25 September 2008   When and how did you first hear of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence organization?  “Officially” late Winter 2005 – I say this because I was in a headspace to say “yes” to anything that had to do with supporting the community and our Prioress - Sister Iadora Cox, who was, at that time, LA-SPI’s Mister Sister Leather 2005 - asked several of us barflies to “join the Sisters ‘cause they do good work”.  Years before that, I had seen freaky-looking clowns running around looking vaguely like nuns.  I also had an acquaintance relationship with Sister Candy Cide of the LA Sisters by virtue of my hosting Leather and Bear events throughout the Southland and I would run into her every once in a while (by “run into” I mean that we tossed drag queen shade at each other from time to time).   What about this organization caused you to want to be involved in founding an Order of SPI in San Diego?  To be honest, I had no idea what I was getting into.  It wasn’t until we signed our Charter in late May that I realized this was kinda serious and I would have to really pay attention to what I was doing.  The implications of a House in San Diego didn’t really hit me until some slightly negative press in Summer 2005 and that is when my understanding of, what I call, “The Indulgent Calling” actually coalesced.   What do you think was the most challenging part of beginning the process of founding the San Diego Order? We had the dubious distinction of being the First of The Third “New” Generation of Houses that were founded (San Diego, Las Vegas & Portland) in the new Millennium so the Sisters were still “being discovered” by the general community in the US.  Of course, now, many people across the country know “The Sisters” (especially with all the new Houses and Missions doing tremendous work out in “The Frontier”) but ten years ago, only people who were active/out in the LGBT community circles near big cities (San Francisco, Seattle, LA) knew who “The Sisters” were since they were usually only seen by the masses at Prides and LGBT gatherings. This lead to many people hearing about “our antics” (The Hunky Jesus Contest, Folsom/Dore/Hair-Is-On events and, more infamously, the giant dildo-shaped “Weapon of Mass Destruction” at SF Pride) through gossip, social columns and activist circles.  Since there was a general misunderstanding of what we were about, our San Diego Order suffered from a reputation of “bringing bad values and bad actions” to San Diego – which was not at all true. Our House – and our Founding Members –fought the judgment for the first couple years that we were bringing “San Francisco crazy” to San Diego which we generally rebuffed.  We didn’t get invited to events/etc. like we do now, in fact, more often than not, we were “discouraged” from appearing at gatherings (like Imperial Court Coronations, AIDS Walk, San Diego Pride) so we happily appeared anyway to cheers and love from the general public who were quite fascinated that our make-up looked SO much more evolved than San Diego’s typical drag queens.  I look back on it now and see that we might have opened up general acceptance of the Andro-Drag and cutting-edge style that has become quite popular nowadays. Since the Sisters were “new” in town, we got the typical flack about wearing crosses, mocking the Catholic Church (how dare they think it’s all about them!) and how we dressed in front of children.  San Diego has, and always has had, an oddly conservative population.  While the urban city areas, or Gayborhoods if you will, had a general “live and let live” attitude, the bulk of San Diego’s population is suburban/rural, staunchly Right Wing and extremely Fundamentalist/Evangelical. We absolutely HAD to ensure that we were ready to face that opposition to our very existence whenever we were caught in the media, whether papers/magazines, online, television or out in the community.  Many of our early members did not know how to deal with this because majority lived in the urban Gayborhoods.  Those few of us who live outside the Gayborhoods would scurry to avoid notice.  Now, with social assumptions being more open, some few of us have even been to Costco, other stores around the region and even the airport!   Did the initial group of the Mission House encounter growing pains?  And what was learned from those pains? Our growing pains were exotic and started almost from the beginning.  A majority of us were involved, in some way, with the Leather Community so we mostly had common ground on which to iron out differences.  But, even among that circle, our belief systems and ideologies ran the spectrum from practicing Christians and Old Guard to pagan witches and vanilla fetishists (and these axes are not even all-encompassing). When differences did come up, the voices and opinions became vociferous and even drove some to utterly give up and leave, completely disappear or just go rogue.  There were some few instances where the House could not come to even a partial consensus to the point that eternal rifts were created between members who had, up to that point, been completely amiable.  Debates on policy, community involvement and choices of support resulted in some objects flying through the air during meetings (probably an inheritance from our sponsor House, the LA Sisters), harsh word exchanges and walk-outs.  Schisms?  We had two big ones and you’ll have to bribe me with herb and chocolate for me to dish THOSE sordid scandals. But through all that, one thing rang very true.  In the words of one Sister, “there’s room for all of it” and it was that mantra that allowed those aching growing pains to become proud scars that allowed us to learn that being a Sister and part of the House is not just about breaking the status quo but cementing the status quo’s necessity for a harmonious society. Over the years, we’ve all learned that anyone who comes in contact to us adds their unique color to our House and we are irresponsible if we were to suppress those offerings.  The diversity of our House has educated us in the tolerance and acceptance of each other in the mutual pursuit of spreading joy and absolving guilt.   Being a founding member of your house, did you go through the process of first being a postulant or novice, or were you just considered a founding member and basically have the same rights as a fully professed sister? We were “Founders” and basically functioned on our own except for the semi-monthly visits and sporadic telephone calls we would have (either on our own behalf or as a House) with our sponsoring House (Los Angeles) and mentoring Sisters (Candy Cide, Unity Divine and Tragedy Ann of Los Angeles and Hellen Wheels of San Francisco).  That being said, our path, just like Portland and Las Vegas) was unique because we had no benchmark nor established parameters for how to act as “White Veils” without having matriculated from Aspirancy/Postulancy nor able to seek the guidance of in-town Black Veils.  We basically made up the rules as we went along and (surprise, surprise) had to back track and evolve how we then handled our Acolyte members as that group added members (poor Sister Nora!).  And, by the way, we did not know what “rights” we had or didn’t have because our advisors even differed on what to do and what not to do.  I can even relate a story of when we trotted out what WE thought were just pretty scarves but was thought by OTHERS as colored veils (persnickety Mission Sisters that we were, don’t ya know!).   How did the community react to the Sisters on the first manifestation in San Diego?  Well, frankly, we were a bunch of chittering finches flitting about thinking we was all that and a bag of Kettle Corn.  People who ran into us, though, were about half split as to what we were.  Those who knew the Sisters thought we were from San Francisco or LA and were delighted to find out we were starting a House in San Diego.  People who didn’t know the Sisters pummeled us with the questions of what we were doing, what was the make-up all about and “Why ‘Sisters’?”  Then, there was the person who confronted Sister Polly about her wearing a cross. ‘Nuff said!   Did you find any challenges when dealing with the community for the first time? If so, what were the challenges? Yes, we found challenges and chief among them was our ability to speak “Indulgently” rather than through our own secular perspectives.  Some of us acted like nothing was different except we were wearing funky clothes and white make-up (tragic as it was for some).  Others kept their mouths shut, just watching and screaming inside silently.  Others acted like we had the world by the tail.  ALL of us learned from that night and subsequent days and we slowly were able to learn the ropes and actually interact as Sisters instead of the guys (and girl!) behind the Sisters.  I would be remiss if I did not address the biggest elephant in the room which started in our House from the get-go:  that of being labeled a drunk group of Sisters.  We were free and loose with consumption of liquor and very few of us regulated our intake with respect to the Habit.  It was a hard lesson to learn when, after a particularly well-attended and scrutinized event, we got a little out of hand and ended up, as a group, starting to police our own behavior.  Tough lesson and certainly well worth it.  Have we learned by now?  Not sure; only the Sistory may tell…   Now that your house has been established for quite some time, what is the biggest difference in your house now from when it was first founded (not speaking of the number of members, of course)?  Our way of going to business has changed fundamentally, our membership has become more diverse in perspective and our reach has exponentially expanded. The first two and a half years focused on the checkboxes needed to found a House (i.e. Exequatur Requirements).  After that, we literally lost our way and had a lot of growing up to do (not unlike the harsh reality of life after High School).  Some of us dropped away and others moved through the “College Years” by keeping the Sisters in the face of the community and at the cutting edge of social change in San Diego.  Limping around for a couple years, we shed some skin, fought internal battles and re-generated from our (catastrophic) mistakes. The last couple years have seen a fundamental shift in ways of thinking in that we no longer look for the “Now” and “Let’s Do It” mentality we used to have.  We now think about decisions critically and not everyone absolutely MUST have buy-in.  The House makes decisions, appearances and initiatives like a buffet: we each take what we want and leave the rest for others. Our membership started out in the circles of Leather and Imperial Court at the beginning then started adding Acolytes at a pace we simply could not handle, either mentally, socially or conditionally.  Then, we imposed a hold on new members as we realized we simply could not handle what we had.  We got through strife and tough times, opened up again and got nuttin’.  We purged, bit off more than we could chew, acted blind to members’ feelings, chewed our cud more and then simply let the spirits guide us.  Now, after all that, we have a membership that has spectrum of extremes and everything in-between:  men to women, gay to straight, poor to rich, enabled to dependent, old to young, pacifists to activists, professional to gypsy, and polished to rough.  In short, we are the mirror to our community – a fun house mirror – but a mirror, none-the-less. Our reach before was US going to THEM.  Now, we are constantly amazed by messages on our Facebook, Twitter and email of folks, groups, organizations and companies that want our presence in some way or another.  We are to the point (much, I am sure to the chagrin of LA) that we have to simply reply back that we cannot guarantee we can be at something but we will do our level best.  Last weekend, I counted five socially different events in a single day!    If you could go back to the days of the order’s initial founding, what changes would you make, if any?  Not a damn thing except my choice of make-up in the first couple months (tragic!).  Seriously.   What advice would you give to a newly formed Mission House or any group that is considering the possibility of starting a house? Open yourself to the Spirituality of Indulgence… In the words of Disney’s Pocahontas, “…every rock and tree and creature has a life, has a spirit, has a name, …If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you’ll learn things you knew you never knew, …Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind? …Come roll in all the riches all around you And, for once, never wonder what they’re worth. …We are all connected to each other in a circle, in a hoop that never ends.”   Do you have just as much excitement about being a Sister now, as you did when you were assisting with the founding of your Order? I do, even more now!  In fact, becoming a Sister, being a Sister and teaching Indulgence has helped me in my personal relationships, work ethics, professional techniques and handling my life in general.  If there ever were a universal antidote and fountain of youth, the Sisters are it!   In one word (and one word only) please describe the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Paradox    

Please give me your Sister name and when you became fully professed. 

Sister Amanda Reckinwith, The Scarlet Harlot
(formerly of The Sparkling Scarlet Rouge)
aka Sister Storm
aka Brother Love, J.V., The Capuchin Jew
First Veil:  21 May 2005
Missionary Status:  8 June 2005
Fully Professed Vows:  12 Aug 2006
Vows of Perpetuity:  25 September 2008

 

When and how did you first hear of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence organization? 

“Officially” late Winter 2005 – I say this because I was in a headspace to say “yes” to anything that had to do with supporting the community and our Prioress - Sister Iadora Cox, who was, at that time, LA-SPI’s Mister Sister Leather 2005 - asked several of us barflies to “join the Sisters ‘cause they do good work”. 

Years before that, I had seen freaky-looking clowns running around looking vaguely like nuns. 

I also had an acquaintance relationship with Sister Candy Cide of the LA Sisters by virtue of my hosting Leather and Bear events throughout the Southland and I would run into her every once in a while (by “run into” I mean that we tossed drag queen shade at each other from time to time).

 

What about this organization caused you to want to be involved in founding an Order of SPI in San Diego? 

To be honest, I had no idea what I was getting into.  It wasn’t until we signed our Charter in late May that I realized this was kinda serious and I would have to really pay attention to what I was doing.  The implications of a House in San Diego didn’t really hit me until some slightly negative press in Summer 2005 and that is when my understanding of, what I call, “The Indulgent Calling” actually coalesced.

 

What do you think was the most challenging part of beginning the process of founding the San Diego Order?

We had the dubious distinction of being the First of The Third “New” Generation of Houses that were founded (San Diego, Las Vegas & Portland) in the new Millennium so the Sisters were still “being discovered” by the general community in the US.  Of course, now, many people across the country know “The Sisters” (especially with all the new Houses and Missions doing tremendous work out in “The Frontier”) but ten years ago, only people who were active/out in the LGBT community circles near big cities (San Francisco, Seattle, LA) knew who “The Sisters” were since they were usually only seen by the masses at Prides and LGBT gatherings.

This lead to many people hearing about “our antics” (The Hunky Jesus Contest, Folsom/Dore/Hair-Is-On events and, more infamously, the giant dildo-shaped “Weapon of Mass Destruction” at SF Pride) through gossip, social columns and activist circles.  Since there was a general misunderstanding of what we were about, our San Diego Order suffered from a reputation of “bringing bad values and bad actions” to San Diego – which was not at all true.

Our House – and our Founding Members –fought the judgment for the first couple years that we were bringing “San Francisco crazy” to San Diego which we generally rebuffed. 

We didn’t get invited to events/etc. like we do now, in fact, more often than not, we were “discouraged” from appearing at gatherings (like Imperial Court Coronations, AIDS Walk, San Diego Pride) so we happily appeared anyway to cheers and love from the general public who were quite fascinated that our make-up looked SO much more evolved than San Diego’s typical drag queens.  I look back on it now and see that we might have opened up general acceptance of the Andro-Drag and cutting-edge style that has become quite popular nowadays.

Since the Sisters were “new” in town, we got the typical flack about wearing crosses, mocking the Catholic Church (how dare they think it’s all about them!) and how we dressed in front of children.  San Diego has, and always has had, an oddly conservative population.  While the urban city areas, or Gayborhoods if you will, had a general “live and let live” attitude, the bulk of San Diego’s population is suburban/rural, staunchly Right Wing and extremely Fundamentalist/Evangelical. We absolutely HAD to ensure that we were ready to face that opposition to our very existence whenever we were caught in the media, whether papers/magazines, online, television or out in the community.  Many of our early members did not know how to deal with this because majority lived in the urban Gayborhoods.  Those few of us who live outside the Gayborhoods would scurry to avoid notice.  Now, with social assumptions being more open, some few of us have even been to Costco, other stores around the region and even the airport!

 

Did the initial group of the Mission House encounter growing pains?  And what was learned from those pains?

Our growing pains were exotic and started almost from the beginning.  A majority of us were involved, in some way, with the Leather Community so we mostly had common ground on which to iron out differences.  But, even among that circle, our belief systems and ideologies ran the spectrum from practicing Christians and Old Guard to pagan witches and vanilla fetishists (and these axes are not even all-encompassing).

When differences did come up, the voices and opinions became vociferous and even drove some to utterly give up and leave, completely disappear or just go rogue.  There were some few instances where the House could not come to even a partial consensus to the point that eternal rifts were created between members who had, up to that point, been completely amiable.  Debates on policy, community involvement and choices of support resulted in some objects flying through the air during meetings (probably an inheritance from our sponsor House, the LA Sisters), harsh word exchanges and walk-outs. 

Schisms?  We had two big ones and you’ll have to bribe me with herb and chocolate for me to dish THOSE sordid scandals.

But through all that, one thing rang very true.  In the words of one Sister, “there’s room for all of it” and it was that mantra that allowed those aching growing pains to become proud scars that allowed us to learn that being a Sister and part of the House is not just about breaking the status quo but cementing the status quo’s necessity for a harmonious society.

Over the years, we’ve all learned that anyone who comes in contact to us adds their unique color to our House and we are irresponsible if we were to suppress those offerings.  The diversity of our House has educated us in the tolerance and acceptance of each other in the mutual pursuit of spreading joy and absolving guilt.

 

Being a founding member of your house, did you go through the process of first being a postulant or novice, or were you just considered a founding member and basically have the same rights as a fully professed sister?

We were “Founders” and basically functioned on our own except for the semi-monthly visits and sporadic telephone calls we would have (either on our own behalf or as a House) with our sponsoring House (Los Angeles) and mentoring Sisters (Candy Cide, Unity Divine and Tragedy Ann of Los Angeles and Hellen Wheels of San Francisco).  That being said, our path, just like Portland and Las Vegas) was unique because we had no benchmark nor established parameters for how to act as “White Veils” without having matriculated from Aspirancy/Postulancy nor able to seek the guidance of in-town Black Veils.  We basically made up the rules as we went along and (surprise, surprise) had to back track and evolve how we then handled our Acolyte members as that group added members (poor Sister Nora!).  And, by the way, we did not know what “rights” we had or didn’t have because our advisors even differed on what to do and what not to do.  I can even relate a story of when we trotted out what WE thought were just pretty scarves but was thought by OTHERS as colored veils (persnickety Mission Sisters that we were, don’t ya know!).

 

How did the community react to the Sisters on the first manifestation in San Diego? 

Well, frankly, we were a bunch of chittering finches flitting about thinking we was all that and a bag of Kettle Corn.  People who ran into us, though, were about half split as to what we were.  Those who knew the Sisters thought we were from San Francisco or LA and were delighted to find out we were starting a House in San Diego.  People who didn’t know the Sisters pummeled us with the questions of what we were doing, what was the make-up all about and “Why ‘Sisters’?”  Then, there was the person who confronted Sister Polly about her wearing a cross. ‘Nuff said!

 

Did you find any challenges when dealing with the community for the first time? If so, what were the challenges?

Yes, we found challenges and chief among them was our ability to speak “Indulgently” rather than through our own secular perspectives.  Some of us acted like nothing was different except we were wearing funky clothes and white make-up (tragic as it was for some).  Others kept their mouths shut, just watching and screaming inside silently.  Others acted like we had the world by the tail.  ALL of us learned from that night and subsequent days and we slowly were able to learn the ropes and actually interact as Sisters instead of the guys (and girl!) behind the Sisters. 

I would be remiss if I did not address the biggest elephant in the room which started in our House from the get-go:  that of being labeled a drunk group of Sisters.  We were free and loose with consumption of liquor and very few of us regulated our intake with respect to the Habit.  It was a hard lesson to learn when, after a particularly well-attended and scrutinized event, we got a little out of hand and ended up, as a group, starting to police our own behavior.  Tough lesson and certainly well worth it.  Have we learned by now?  Not sure; only the Sistory may tell…

 

Now that your house has been established for quite some time, what is the biggest difference in your house now from when it was first founded (not speaking of the number of members, of course)? 

Our way of going to business has changed fundamentally, our membership has become more diverse in perspective and our reach has exponentially expanded.

The first two and a half years focused on the checkboxes needed to found a House (i.e. Exequatur Requirements).  After that, we literally lost our way and had a lot of growing up to do (not unlike the harsh reality of life after High School).  Some of us dropped away and others moved through the “College Years” by keeping the Sisters in the face of the community and at the cutting edge of social change in San Diego.  Limping around for a couple years, we shed some skin, fought internal battles and re-generated from our (catastrophic) mistakes. The last couple years have seen a fundamental shift in ways of thinking in that we no longer look for the “Now” and “Let’s Do It” mentality we used to have.  We now think about decisions critically and not everyone absolutely MUST have buy-in.  The House makes decisions, appearances and initiatives like a buffet: we each take what we want and leave the rest for others.

Our membership started out in the circles of Leather and Imperial Court at the beginning then started adding Acolytes at a pace we simply could not handle, either mentally, socially or conditionally.  Then, we imposed a hold on new members as we realized we simply could not handle what we had.  We got through strife and tough times, opened up again and got nuttin’.  We purged, bit off more than we could chew, acted blind to members’ feelings, chewed our cud more and then simply let the spirits guide us.  Now, after all that, we have a membership that has spectrum of extremes and everything in-between:  men to women, gay to straight, poor to rich, enabled to dependent, old to young, pacifists to activists, professional to gypsy, and polished to rough.  In short, we are the mirror to our community – a fun house mirror – but a mirror, none-the-less.

Our reach before was US going to THEM.  Now, we are constantly amazed by messages on our Facebook, Twitter and email of folks, groups, organizations and companies that want our presence in some way or another.  We are to the point (much, I am sure to the chagrin of LA) that we have to simply reply back that we cannot guarantee we can be at something but we will do our level best.  Last weekend, I counted five socially different events in a single day! 

 

If you could go back to the days of the order’s initial founding, what changes would you make, if any? 

Not a damn thing except my choice of make-up in the first couple months (tragic!).  Seriously.

 

What advice would you give to a newly formed Mission House or any group that is considering the possibility of starting a house?

Open yourself to the Spirituality of Indulgence… In the words of Disney’s Pocahontas,

“…every rock and tree and creature has a life,
has a spirit, has a name,
…If you walk the footsteps of a stranger,
you’ll learn things you knew you never knew,
…Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
…Come roll in all the riches all around you
And, for once, never wonder what they’re worth.
…We are all connected to each other in a circle,
in a hoop that never ends.”

 

Do you have just as much excitement about being a Sister now, as you did when you were assisting with the founding of your Order?

I do, even more now!  In fact, becoming a Sister, being a Sister and teaching Indulgence has helped me in my personal relationships, work ethics, professional techniques and handling my life in general.  If there ever were a universal antidote and fountain of youth, the Sisters are it!

 

In one word (and one word only) please describe the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

Paradox

 

 

Posted 2 weeks ago
Could you please give me your name and tell me when you became a member of The San Diego Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence My name is Sister Renee Zonce, affectionately referred to as “The Twisted Sister”. I began my journey down the path of SPI in January of 2010.   What level are you currently at in your journey? I became fully professed during San Diego PRIDE, July 2012.   What is the reason that you chose to become a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence? Initially, I chose to become a Sister because I had become so disconnected from both my community and myself. But it also represents a “coming full circle”…the completion of a process that I began MANY years ago when I actually lived in a convent (yes, convent!) in Jerusalem for almost 6 years. To be honest, I ran away from that life…even though I knew that I had the “calling”. Now I realize the true nature of that “calling”…and so here I am today, a drag-nun!   What have you found to be most rewarding in this stage of your journey? Challenging myself to go beyond what I know, my comfort, my present level of experience…and the challenge of reaching deep inside myself to make manifest my vision of our mission of joy.   What have you found to be the most challenging part of this process? Hmmmm…I would have to say here the process of truly accepting the moment as it is…and then making that work for you.   Who has been your biggest influence along your path and explain how that person has influenced you. There are SO many bright stars that shine in the tiara of SPI. But to just choose the single biggest influence…my sponsor mother, Sister Kali. She has made my journey “holistic”…teaching me how to approach being a Sister from its many aspects: the practical, the historical, the business, the spiritual, theatrical, social, etc. She has shared freely so much of her love and experience…always encouraging me to just be my authentic self.   In a short paragraph, please describe your first night of manifestation. Lol…my very first night out was, how to put it, maybe was like a “soft manifestation”! I had cancelled the time before…I just couldn’t bring it all together. Sister Indica later arranged that just she, Sister Kali, and I would have a big Sisters/little Sister darshan…just the three of us doing a light bar ministry…before any “formal” introduction to the House and larger community. The feeling I had at the time was very akin to acute stage-fright, where I almost cancelled the second time. But both Indica and Kali gave me some loving encouragement…and I knew that I just had to trust and take that leap…and leap I did! I met them at a local bar…and bam! Little Rhea Dempshun was born!   What are you currently most excited about? I am SO excited about all the potential that is before the San Diego House at the moment…everything from exploring new opportunities to our upcoming junior members!!   Most Sisters experience, what we call, an “Ah-Ha” moment.  This is a moment where we realize that we are definitely where we need to be and that this path of Sisterhood is in alignment with who we are as a person.  Have you had that “Ah-Ha” moment yet, and if so, can you speak of it. I experienced this “Ah-Ha moment” during my Novice project. As part of the project, I had to reach out to local establishments to request donations for our final raffle. Of course in doing so, I met with many people across the continuum of our community. With 98% of these interactions, I was greeted with such incredible enthusiasm about who the Sisters are, what we do, and what we represent to our community…and I was even congratulated and thanked for just being a part of this awesome organization. I then realized the depth of this legacy that I was inheriting which all began in 1979…and at that time SPI was 33 years strong…33 YEARS…and only growing! It was because the vision and work of those before me that I was able to now do my work. I had become a partaker in that legacy…to now share the best of myself to continue making our vision, our mission of joy, manifest. In that moment I realized that I was truly being authentic to who I was…and was doing EXACTLY what I wanted to always do and be a part of! That moment gave me such incredible joy! I knew that SPI was it!!   In one word, please describe The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. DELICIOUS!  

Could you please give me your name and tell me when you became a member of The San Diego Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

My name is Sister Renee Zonce, affectionately referred to as “The Twisted Sister”. I began my journey down the path of SPI in January of 2010.

 

What level are you currently at in your journey?

I became fully professed during San Diego PRIDE, July 2012.

 

What is the reason that you chose to become a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence?

Initially, I chose to become a Sister because I had become so disconnected from both my community and myself. But it also represents a “coming full circle”…the completion of a process that I began MANY years ago when I actually lived in a convent (yes, convent!) in Jerusalem for almost 6 years. To be honest, I ran away from that life…even though I knew that I had the “calling”. Now I realize the true nature of that “calling”…and so here I am today, a drag-nun!

 

What have you found to be most rewarding in this stage of your journey?

Challenging myself to go beyond what I know, my comfort, my present level of experience…and the challenge of reaching deep inside myself to make manifest my vision of our mission of joy.

 

What have you found to be the most challenging part of this process?

Hmmmm…I would have to say here the process of truly accepting the moment as it is…and then making that work for you.

 

Who has been your biggest influence along your path and explain how that person has influenced you.

There are SO many bright stars that shine in the tiara of SPI. But to just choose the single biggest influence…my sponsor mother, Sister Kali. She has made my journey “holistic”…teaching me how to approach being a Sister from its many aspects: the practical, the historical, the business, the spiritual, theatrical, social, etc. She has shared freely so much of her love and experience…always encouraging me to just be my authentic self.

 

In a short paragraph, please describe your first night of manifestation.

Lol…my very first night out was, how to put it, maybe was like a “soft manifestation”! I had cancelled the time before…I just couldn’t bring it all together. Sister Indica later arranged that just she, Sister Kali, and I would have a big Sisters/little Sister darshan…just the three of us doing a light bar ministry…before any “formal” introduction to the House and larger community. The feeling I had at the time was very akin to acute stage-fright, where I almost cancelled the second time. But both Indica and Kali gave me some loving encouragement…and I knew that I just had to trust and take that leap…and leap I did! I met them at a local bar…and bam! Little Rhea Dempshun was born!

 

What are you currently most excited about?

I am SO excited about all the potential that is before the San Diego House at the moment…everything from exploring new opportunities to our upcoming junior members!!

 

Most Sisters experience, what we call, an “Ah-Ha” moment.  This is a moment where we realize that we are definitely where we need to be and that this path of Sisterhood is in alignment with who we are as a person.  Have you had that “Ah-Ha” moment yet, and if so, can you speak of it.

I experienced this “Ah-Ha moment” during my Novice project. As part of the project, I had to reach out to local establishments to request donations for our final raffle. Of course in doing so, I met with many people across the continuum of our community. With 98% of these interactions, I was greeted with such incredible enthusiasm about who the Sisters are, what we do, and what we represent to our community…and I was even congratulated and thanked for just being a part of this awesome organization. I then realized the depth of this legacy that I was inheriting which all began in 1979…and at that time SPI was 33 years strong…33 YEARS…and only growing! It was because the vision and work of those before me that I was able to now do my work. I had become a partaker in that legacy…to now share the best of myself to continue making our vision, our mission of joy, manifest. In that moment I realized that I was truly being authentic to who I was…and was doing EXACTLY what I wanted to always do and be a part of! That moment gave me such incredible joy! I knew that SPI was it!!

 

In one word, please describe The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

DELICIOUS!

 

Posted 2 weeks ago
Posted 2 weeks ago
What is your full Guard name and when did you become fully professed? Guard “Guard Inya”  (Guard is technically part of the name, as well as the “title”…) January 2006, though we didn’t have “fully professed” guards at the time.  I became “Captain of The Guard” for the first time, at the same time I became a “full” Guard.  The Captain was the only voting member from the Guard Corp at that time, and there were no vows, or “profession” at that time.   Knowing that some guards occasionally find putting on makeup challenging, do you do your own make up or does someone else do it for you? Yep, ‘cept on 2 occasions where my rt. arm wasn’t working well.  All our Guards have always done their own makeup, except on unusual occasions.   How many members in the San Diego house are guards? 2 Fully Professed (active), 1 Fully Professed (inactive), 1 Emeritus (inactive), 1 Novice, 1 aspirant, 1 Missionary / Far Flung (inactive), 2 fully professed that have become Sisters (1 a Novice currently), that are/will be eligible to manifest as fully professed guards, and the one fully professed Sister occasionally does.  (So anywhere from 2 to 9, depending on your definition)   How do you describe the role of a guard, in your own words? The Primary duties are protecting and coordinating (and by ‘coordinating’ I mean what is often referred to as “herding cats…”).  Essentially, being the eyes and ears for the general environment, so Sisters can concentrate on being Sisters, and when it’s a large group (such as at a conclave outing), being the runners that allow a spread out group to work in a more coordinated way.  Secondary duties: to help with events, and keep an eye on purses etc., and be general support people. Behind the scenes, we basically do the same “House” keeping as Sisters, I’m currently board vice chair, UNPC Alternate, and bylaws/P&P committee member.  Other Guards have been heavily involved in the web, and in networking with the community, Guards Rolodex and Whip-Hir have produced events too, though this had never been a primary focus of Guards here. Oh, and Guards are also the ones that have useful and convenient items such as straws, and safety pins, blessing glitter, and first aid kits.    What is the best advice you can give to a member who has decided to follow the Guard path? Keep a cool head, be faithful to your avocation, and have some fun.  If you’re not having any fun, something needs to change.  And to all coming up in the order, go to events in other cities, and especially get at least once to San Francisco for Folsom or Anniversary, or Pink Saturday.   What is your personal mission as a Guard? I don’t know if I have a mission as a Guard, I have a mission as a member to support, encourage, promote and participate in social activism.  I also have a personal mission to try to point out when I think the house is getting bogged down in rules for the sake of rules, and steer back to what it says in the mission statement and statement of principles.  This is especially true when rules start being used as weapons to attack and/or demean, and even more so when it’s a junior member who’s the object.    What are you currently most excited about? We are being invited more often to “counter protest” groups such as the anti-abortion protesters at the Earth Fair, who bring their obscene and horrible pictures, and poorly thought out one-sided propaganda, and who make a point to especially shove these images in the faces of children, who don’t have the mental tools to process the issue, and just end up having nightmares, and quite possibly end up with more neuroses and phobias, and general maladjustment.  We helped block these images, and steer people away from the locations they were being displayed , especially during the children’s parade (they try to line a section of the parade route, and make sure ALL the kids are frightened and disturbed).   We got a great deal of positive reaction to that, and in the following 2 weeks brought our messages of hope, love, beauty, and acceptance to counter fundie protests at a major street art fair, and at a “Drag Superstars” event at USD, The local Catholic University.  Since the event organizers didn’t make themselves available to the press, local Sisters ended up being on local channels 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 news that night…  !!!   Besides the obvious, what do you think the difference is between Sisters and Guards? Sisters are more outwardly focused, whether it be ministry (i.e. spiritual & latex), charity, education, activism, or other focuses.  Guards are more inwardly focused on the safety of the Sisters, and the general functions of the house, and the order in general.   What is your most memorable experience as a guard? Probably Conclave 666 (2006), It was my first big gathering, had an amazing range of experiences, from being the only Guard at the Huntington Gardens with 60+ Sisters & trotting endlessly from one group to the next “coordinating,” to the “One Veil” (or “One Whale” as it’s still commonly called…) ceremony on Hollywood Blvd, to the “Spontaneous Production Number” on the steps of the Kodak Theatre, to the Blessing at George Michaels bathroom in Beverly Hills, to the day picnicking and hanging out at Venice Beach (in face), to the Elevations (Shawnti’s was literal) under the Hollywood Sign, to the 100+ Contingent in the LA Pride Parade, and finally Sentry Rolodex finding the dropped brooch while on “nun dropping” patrol at the back of the parade contingent, and I having the great honor of presenting this to the group at the post parade blessing as a lost item, then finding out that it was a Mothers gift at a San Francisco Sisters elevation to Black Veil.  (She cried, and was rather grateful.  That was particularly special…).  Those are just some highlights, so GO TO CONCLAVE!! (especially in your early time in the order…)    

What is your full Guard name and when did you become fully professed?

Guard “Guard Inya”  (Guard is technically part of the name, as well as the “title”…)

January 2006, though we didn’t have “fully professed” guards at the time.  I became “Captain of The Guard” for the first time, at the same time I became a “full” Guard.  The Captain was the only voting member from the Guard Corp at that time, and there were no vows, or “profession” at that time.

 

Knowing that some guards occasionally find putting on makeup challenging, do you do your own make up or does someone else do it for you?

Yep, ‘cept on 2 occasions where my rt. arm wasn’t working well.  All our Guards have always done their own makeup, except on unusual occasions.

 

How many members in the San Diego house are guards?

2 Fully Professed (active), 1 Fully Professed (inactive), 1 Emeritus (inactive), 1 Novice, 1 aspirant, 1 Missionary / Far Flung (inactive), 2 fully professed that have become Sisters (1 a Novice currently), that are/will be eligible to manifest as fully professed guards, and the one fully professed Sister occasionally does. 

(So anywhere from 2 to 9, depending on your definition)

 

How do you describe the role of a guard, in your own words?

The Primary duties are protecting and coordinating (and by ‘coordinating’ I mean what is often referred to as “herding cats…”).  Essentially, being the eyes and ears for the general environment, so Sisters can concentrate on being Sisters, and when it’s a large group (such as at a conclave outing), being the runners that allow a spread out group to work in a more coordinated way.  Secondary duties: to help with events, and keep an eye on purses etc., and be general support people.

Behind the scenes, we basically do the same “House” keeping as Sisters, I’m currently board vice chair, UNPC Alternate, and bylaws/P&P committee member.  Other Guards have been heavily involved in the web, and in networking with the community, Guards Rolodex and Whip-Hir have produced events too, though this had never been a primary focus of Guards here.

Oh, and Guards are also the ones that have useful and convenient items such as straws, and safety pins, blessing glitter, and first aid kits. 

 

What is the best advice you can give to a member who has decided to follow the Guard path?

Keep a cool head, be faithful to your avocation, and have some fun.  If you’re not having any fun, something needs to change.  And to all coming up in the order, go to events in other cities, and especially get at least once to San Francisco for Folsom or Anniversary, or Pink Saturday.

 

What is your personal mission as a Guard?

I don’t know if I have a mission as a Guard, I have a mission as a member to support, encourage, promote and participate in social activism.  I also have a personal mission to try to point out when I think the house is getting bogged down in rules for the sake of rules, and steer back to what it says in the mission statement and statement of principles.  This is especially true when rules start being used as weapons to attack and/or demean, and even more so when it’s a junior member who’s the object. 

 

What are you currently most excited about?

We are being invited more often to “counter protest” groups such as the anti-abortion protesters at the Earth Fair, who bring their obscene and horrible pictures, and poorly thought out one-sided propaganda, and who make a point to especially shove these images in the faces of children, who don’t have the mental tools to process the issue, and just end up having nightmares, and quite possibly end up with more neuroses and phobias, and general maladjustment.  We helped block these images, and steer people away from the locations they were being displayed , especially during the children’s parade (they try to line a section of the parade route, and make sure ALL the kids are frightened and disturbed).   We got a great deal of positive reaction to that, and in the following 2 weeks brought our messages of hope, love, beauty, and acceptance to counter fundie protests at a major street art fair, and at a “Drag Superstars” event at USD, The local Catholic University.  Since the event organizers didn’t make themselves available to the press, local Sisters ended up being on local channels 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 news that night…  !!!

 

Besides the obvious, what do you think the difference is between Sisters and Guards?

Sisters are more outwardly focused, whether it be ministry (i.e. spiritual & latex), charity, education, activism, or other focuses.  Guards are more inwardly focused on the safety of the Sisters, and the general functions of the house, and the order in general.

 

What is your most memorable experience as a guard?

Probably Conclave 666 (2006), It was my first big gathering, had an amazing range of experiences, from being the only Guard at the Huntington Gardens with 60+ Sisters & trotting endlessly from one group to the next “coordinating,” to the “One Veil” (or “One Whale” as it’s still commonly called…) ceremony on Hollywood Blvd, to the “Spontaneous Production Number” on the steps of the Kodak Theatre, to the Blessing at George Michaels bathroom in Beverly Hills, to the day picnicking and hanging out at Venice Beach (in face), to the Elevations (Shawnti’s was literal) under the Hollywood Sign, to the 100+ Contingent in the LA Pride Parade, and finally Sentry Rolodex finding the dropped brooch while on “nun dropping” patrol at the back of the parade contingent, and I having the great honor of presenting this to the group at the post parade blessing as a lost item, then finding out that it was a Mothers gift at a San Francisco Sisters elevation to Black Veil.  (She cried, and was rather grateful.  That was particularly special…).  Those are just some highlights, so GO TO CONCLAVE!! (especially in your early time in the order…)

 

 

Posted 2 weeks ago
Posted 2 weeks ago
PIERRE et GILLES   Echoing their love affair, Pierre et Gilles’ artistic collaboration started in 1976, and has merged for the last 30 years their feelings and creativity into a unique artwork, combining photography and painting, that has now become incontrovertible within the French and international artistic scene.     Just like intimate reflections of their daily world, their creations unfurl like a large family album featuring their unknown or renowned friends. Their works are conceived as hand-painted photographs, through an established creative process.     They first draw a sketch of the work they have imagined together, and then they create themselves the set of their theatrical staging, using various tricks and accessories collected during their numerous journeys. They also imagine the costumes, hairdressing and make-up of their models, sometimes with the help of the best specialists. Then Pierre shoots the scene; next, Gilles paints the unique print with successive layers of paint and glaze, to achieve the sought-after picture. It results in a unique artwork, which is completed only when framed, the frame being also conceived specifically by the artists.     This is how Pierre et Gilles’ world materializes itself, a world where grace, humanism and sensuality transform glorified, deified and eroticized characters into new popular icons, who also sometimes display a very dark vision of life. Pierre et Gilles lay a message of tolerance and open-mindedness in the very heart of their works, abolishing all taboos and borders between popular imagery and fine arts, between academic art and contemporary aesthetics, endlessly reinventing portraiture.  

PIERRE et GILLES

 

Echoing their love affair, Pierre et Gilles’ artistic collaboration started in 1976, and has merged for the last 30 years their feelings and creativity into a unique artwork, combining photography and painting, that has now become incontrovertible within the French and international artistic scene.

 

 

Just like intimate reflections of their daily world, their creations unfurl like a large family album featuring their unknown or renowned friends. Their works are conceived as hand-painted photographs, through an established creative process.

 

 

They first draw a sketch of the work they have imagined together, and then they create themselves the set of their theatrical staging, using various tricks and accessories collected during their numerous journeys. They also imagine the costumes, hairdressing and make-up of their models, sometimes with the help of the best specialists. Then Pierre shoots the scene; next, Gilles paints the unique print with successive layers of paint and glaze, to achieve the sought-after picture. It results in a unique artwork, which is completed only when framed, the frame being also conceived specifically by the artists.

 

 

This is how Pierre et Gilles’ world materializes itself, a world where grace, humanism and sensuality transform glorified, deified and eroticized characters into new popular icons, who also sometimes display a very dark vision of life. Pierre et Gilles lay a message of tolerance and open-mindedness in the very heart of their works, abolishing all taboos and borders between popular imagery and fine arts, between academic art and contemporary aesthetics, endlessly reinventing portraiture.

 

Posted 2 weeks ago
Posted 2 weeks ago
Easy Chicken Posole   My name is Sister Viv and I am a pozole whore. If you bring Pozole near me, I WILL take it from you and eat it without apology (ok, well maybe a garbled “sorry” while I shove your food in my face). I LOVE pozole in all of its varieties and am always looking for quick, easy ways to make the food I love so dearly. This is a wonderful, really easy recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Ingredients 2.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts 4 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil, divided 1 chopped white onion 5 cloves of garlic, minced 2.5 quarts of chicken broth 3 cups water 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 teaspoons salt Chili powder to taste (I use 3-4 myself) 3 cups white hominy, rinsed and drained 10 tostada shells Shredded cabbage, diced tomato, thinly sliced radishes, chopped cilantro, chopped onion and lime wedges for folks to add as they please   Directions Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep skillet (med-high heat). Add chicken breasts (halved) and cook until no longer pink and juices run clear (about 20 minutes). Shred with fork when cooled. Heat remaining oil in the same skillet (med- high heat). Add onion and garlic stir and cook until soft and transparent (about 5 minutes). Add chicken back to skillet and stir in broth, water, oregano, salt and chili powder. Reduce heat to low , cover and cook about 90 minutes. Stir in the hominy and cook until tender (15 minutes). Adjust seasonings to preference, if desired. Serve in bowls with tostada shell on the side. Garnish with above mentioned items to taste. ¡que lo disfrutes con salud!   

Easy Chicken Posole

 

My name is Sister Viv and I am a pozole whore. If you bring Pozole near me, I WILL take it from you and eat it without apology (ok, well maybe a garbled “sorry” while I shove your food in my face). I LOVE pozole in all of its varieties and am always looking for quick, easy ways to make the food I love so dearly. This is a wonderful, really easy recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients

2.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil, divided

1 chopped white onion

5 cloves of garlic, minced

2.5 quarts of chicken broth

3 cups water

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

Chili powder to taste (I use 3-4 myself)

3 cups white hominy, rinsed and drained

10 tostada shells

Shredded cabbage, diced tomato, thinly sliced radishes, chopped cilantro, chopped onion and lime wedges for folks to add as they please

 

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep skillet (med-high heat). Add chicken breasts (halved) and cook until no longer pink and juices run clear (about 20 minutes). Shred with fork when cooled.

Heat remaining oil in the same skillet (med- high heat). Add onion and garlic stir and cook until soft and transparent (about 5 minutes). Add chicken back to skillet and stir in broth, water, oregano, salt and chili powder. Reduce heat to low , cover and cook about 90 minutes. Stir in the hominy and cook until tender (15 minutes). Adjust seasonings to preference, if desired. Serve in bowls with tostada shell on the side. Garnish with above mentioned items to taste.

¡que lo disfrutes con salud! 

 

Posted 2 weeks ago
Posted 2 weeks ago