Growing up gay and Mormon in the suburbs of Salt Lake City, Utah, was difficult. My family was truly orthodox in their beliefs and I did everything I could to ensure I stayed faithful and true to the church of my youth.
After surviving multiple suicide attempts, serving a two-year Mormon mission to Montreal, and graduating from Mormon-owned Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, I decided I couldn’t hide anymore and that, truthfully, I didn’t want to live a lie for the rest of my life.
I started coming out to friends and dating my first boyfriend at 25 and eventually came out to my family after I turned 27. Being authentic and trying to find my own path and a personal sense of joy cost me most of my relationships and I ultimately lost contact with the majority of my family and the bulk of my friends.
Being a bigger guy and formerly active in the Utah bear community, I was always drawn to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and their collaboration with the leather community. The makeup, the creativity, and the mission to “Spread Joy” wherever they went always inspired me. When I learned that there were efforts to establish an Abbey of Sisters here in Cincinnati, I immediately knew I wanted to join the group and support their mission within our city.
I believe in the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. I believe in the good that active, visible members of our community can do when they unite behind worthwhile causes. And I believe that my passion, my history, and my connections within the local drag community and other GLBT resources and organizations can support the Cincinnati Sisters’ vision now and for many years to come.
With love,
Sister Moira Lee Superior
Cincinnati’s Original Sister Empress
Empress XXV of the ISQCCBE