In times of increased bias and suppression, we, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Abbey of St. Joan, stand back to our roots as counter-cultural activists, embodying the mission of “promulgating universal joy and expiating stigmatic guilt” in the face of a world that too often seeks to silence and erase LGBTQ+ voices.
As an Abbey, we are a collective group of individual Sisters who live our varied experiences in sexuality, gender, race and spiritual beliefs. However, joy is not just a personal pursuit for us; it is a radical form of self-care and a declaration of resilience. Expiating stigmatic guilt is not all guilt but guilt that scars us from living fully-fledged sustaining lives. As the Queer Nation Manifesto asserts:
[…] everyday you wake up alive, relatively happy, and a functioning human being, you are committing a rebellious act. You as an alive and functioning queer are a revolutionary.
QueerNation Manifesto
Drawing from Larry Kramer, whose legacy reminds us that anger can be a sustaining force—a fire that drives monumental change in grave times. Anger, alongside joy, is an expression of our commitment to survival in a world that would rather see us silent. Anger is not only valid but necessary; it is a reminder that we are here, we feel, and we refuse to be erased.
We recognize our role as historical change-makers, focused on the persistent pursuit beyond tolerance as LGBTQ+ folks to our own collective radical self-actualization. In the days where many are in despair we continue to send out love and support in the face of fear.
Finally, we will reiterate the power of anger, along with joy, as we walk forward together towards a continued fight for a better future.
With much love,
Seattle’s Sisters
The Sisters of Perpetual Induglence,
Abbey of St. Joan
Having a Hard Time Right Now?
We get it, we are here for you, and also take a look at these lists of crisis/support resources:
