The Sisters of Perpetual Induglence turn 30 this Easter!

[moriah]

http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=20862

Who knew that three men, dressed in nun habits borrowed from a convent in Iowa, walking through the Castro on April 14, 1979, like so much else during that tumultuous year, would have such a profound impact thirty years later?

“Under A Full Moon: 30 years of Perpetual Indulgence …an archives exhibition.” has so much to draw from it actually takes two locations, The Hormel Center at the Main Library (March 20 – May 7, 2009) and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts at 701 Mission (April 10, - June 29, 2009) to show the rich history and importance of the Sisters.

...

When asked what he hoped people would take away from the exhibit, Sister Mary Ralph replied that he hoped they would “come to a better understanding of the Sisters. I wanted this to be sort of a public service announcement about the Sisters. About the work we do locally and internationally, the whole range. I hope that people walk away with the understanding that we care seriously about our community but we also think humor is a really potent tool.”

Asked if perhaps people who disagree with the Sisters take them too seriously, “We take process from those thing we are imitating. We all take vows. We take this stuff very seriously You know it takes an hour and a half to get on the make up and your eyelashes. There is a commitment there that not everyone is going to have. It’s not just one thing anymore. It used to be about queer activism and Aids related issues. It has changed into a lot of different things. We still focus on those two areas, but we’ve definitely gone outside that. We do a lot of talking on college campuses about human sexuality, gender identification and queer activism. We do hospice work.”

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence was founded in 1979, and is now a 501(c)(3) organization with orders in the United States, Australia, Colombia, France, Germany, Scotland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay. Their "Play Fair!" safer sex pamphlet, first published in 1982, was the first safer-sex pamphlet to use plain sex-positive language, practical advice, and humor.

For more information on the Sisters, including the updated "Play Fair!" safer sex pamphlet, visit www.thesisters.org.

[xchrom]

1. and i was there for their 'unveiling'!

how fabulous -- i LOVE the Sisters.:woohoo:

[moriah]

2. So do I!

I've been lucky enough to know a few -- I got to meet Sister Missionary Position (although she's changed her name so many times I don't quite recall what her name is now...) I have pictures of when Sister Clara cut Sister Mish's beard braids off and auctioned them.

HIV awareness is a cause very dear to my heart, and several Sisters have also taken on the cause of methamphetamine harm reduction -- another cause dear to my heart. Not only do they do all that, but they still have time to make themselves look fabulous! (Me, I have a hard time dragging myself out of bed...)

Too bad their attempted exorcism of Dr. Laura failed, though.

[xchrom]

5. i never laughed

so hard as when they exocised dr laura!
i didn't get to see -- but certainly wishe i had.

[blogslut]

3. squee!

First heard about them when they came to Dallas for the evil Republican convention in 1984.

Happy Anniversary, Sisters!

[Bluenorthwest]

4. God Bless the Sisters!

Oh yes, they have been righteous, they have served us all very well, and given us cause for laughter in bleak times. I love them all.