Hunky Jesus Is Back, and Now He Has a Documentary

"The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence's annual Easter in the Park returns to Mission Dolores Park on Sunday, April 5, with the full sacrament: drag performances, live music, the Easter Bonnet contest, Foxy Mary, and the Hunky Jesus competition that gives the whole thing its name. Sister Roma, Peaches Christ, and Honey Mahogany are hosting."

"When the contest is announced from the stage, contestants line up backstage near the tennis courts on the north end of the park. There's a pre-screening process (the Sisters have seen enough half-hearted Jesuses to last several lifetimes), and finalists are brought onstage for the audience to crown a winner."

"This year marks 45 years since the Sisters were founded. They started in 1979 as a direct response to evangelical power consolidating in San Francisco. That origin story feels uncomfortably current. With drag bans advancing through state legislatures and LGBTQ+ rights under organized assault, an Easter celebration run by queer nuns in a public park is the same act of defiance it was in 1979, wearing better costumes."

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence host their annual Easter in the Park celebration at Mission Dolores Park, featuring drag performances, live music, an Easter Bonnet contest, and the signature Hunky Jesus competition. The event begins with a kids' Easter egg hunt at 10 a.m., followed by the main stage at noon and the Hunky Jesus contest at 3 p.m. Contestants undergo a pre-screening process before finalists are presented to the audience for voting. The Sisters, founded in 1979 as a response to evangelical consolidation in San Francisco, continue this tradition as an act of queer resistance. With drag bans advancing through state legislatures and LGBTQ+ rights facing organized opposition, the public celebration remains a defiant statement. A feature-length documentary about Hunky Jesus has recently premiered.

Read at The Bold Italic