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Only in San Francisco could the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence not only make their first appearance, but become interwoven in the cultural and political fabric of the city, according to scholar Cathy Glenn in the journal Theory and Event.

Glenn uses the examples of San Francisco as a society of hyperpluralism, where all the groups who have called the city their home have successfully maintained their individual identities, creating a culture defined by counterculture and at times marked by political violence.

The Sisters use Catholic imagery as simultaneous inspiration and fodder for parody through camp.

They choose names based on the process of renaming women inducted into Catholic orders, but that suggest sexual promiscuity or that are based in absurdity: Sister Anita Blowjob, Sister GladAss of the Joyous Reserectum, Sister Hellena Handbasket, and Sister Homo Celestial, among others.

They wear wimples, habits, and robes of nuns, but accessorize them garishly with baubles, beads, and whiteface make-up.

Sister Phyllis Stein the Fragrant Mistress of Sistory asserts that there is a clear distinction between drag queens and members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence: " We're not dressed as girls, we're dressed as nuns ... We definitely minister to the spiritual needs of our community, while drag queens sort of focus on camp and fun within our communities.

We're very different communities.

A lot of people refer to us as drag queens, but we say we're in nun drag.

We are nuns.