Editor:
Heidi Walters myopic feature article on the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (“Oh, Sister!” Sept. 8) is sadly one-sided. Her peppy gee-whiz-it’s-the-Sisters approach fails to disclose any of the group’s many negatives.
She could have spoken to numerous gays who are embarrassed by the group’s mostly gay adult men parading around in clown makeup and women’s clothes. The familiar refrain at last Saturday’s gay pride parade in Eureka was that it was a great parade seriously marred by the presence of the Sisters, including one with women’s underwear on his head.
Walters could have easily found some HIV positive people (and their families and friends) who refuse to participate in the yearly AIDS walk because of the obnoxious presence of the Sisters in full drag. Group member Michael Weiss in particular should know better. He’s the program services coordinator with the Humboldt County Health and Human Services Public Health branch. HIV already has enough stigma; Weiss makes things worse by having his cross-dressing group conduct the whole event.
If reporter Walters had cracked the surface, she could have found women who are offended by the sexist and misogynist version of femininity presented by the Sisters. She might have also examined the substance abuse – alcohol in particular – that is present at nearly all of the Sisters’ events, virtually all of them held in bars and other venues that serve alcohol.
Sure, this group raises money for good causes. However, Heidi Walter’s one-sided article presents only part of the story of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The Journal should be able to do better.
Dixon Sommers, Eureka
This article appears in Giants of Nonprofit.
Funny Ms Sommers, you go on repeatedly and at length how just a wee touch of journalistic integrity on Ms Walters’ part might have turned up untold thousands of people who were offended by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and that interviewing those (alleged) people would let everyone know just how ticked off the entire world (allegedly) is at them.
Yet … for all your bluster about Ms Walters’ journalistic integrity, you don’t seem to have done that wee touch of investigation yourself. You PROPOSE that there are HIV+ people out there who fled the AIDS Walk because of the Sisters, but you don’t produce them.
You PROPOSE there are women out there offended by the obvious parodic nature of the Sisters’ burlesque, but you don’t produce them.
You claim there’s some sort of dark hidden unsavoury underbelly to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and their (alleged) unholy agenda, but you don’t produce it.
YOU should be able to do better.
I’m inclined to agree with the comment above. If Dixon Sommers had written the article she would have reported that the most despicable, reprehensible people imaginable were throwing a fundraiser.
I am troubled by this perspective.
First, the myopic slur against Ms. Walters is nothing more than, “I would have written the article THIS way.” That is not a valid criticism. It is your own lazy way to absolve yourself of writing your own critique. Obviously Heidi Walters had a different agenda than Dixon Sommers. How is that myopic?
I have lived in various gay communities and there have always been folks who were not pleased with the way certain members behaved within it. Would the author of this letter been more pleased by a leather contingent, by a femme contingent, by a conservative Log Cabin Republican contingent? Or perhaps, would they have been made happy by someone who was just like them to lead the parade, to get involved, to put their time and lives on the line?
And if you do not agree with how things are being run, may I ask, are YOU getting involved, making the difference, seeing that things are done according to your reality?
I do not know the Sisters. I am not involved very much with the gay community of Humboldt. But as a gay man, I respect those who know how to do, who know how to be involved, those who make a difference and love. If I wish to make my unique voice known, I would expect to be responsible and get involved.
Four years ago I moved here from the Bay Area. Here in Humboldt, I have seen a profound negative influence to take apart, to tear down, rather than build, from those whose ambitions are to criticize from the sidelines, rather than build bridges with those who are different than themselves. If you do not approve, than be the change that you wish to see and quit bitchin’!
“Embarrassed”? I’m proud to call the Sisters my friends. Humboldt County born and bred Gay here, proud to stand with the Sisters, and embarrassed by “Dixon Sommers”
By the way, I echo Steve’s, Buzz’s and Wade’s comments. And I think it’s sort of slimy to attack one of the Sisters by name while she’s out of town. You got a beef? Take it up with the appropriate people.
“…virtually all of them…serve alcohol.”
I take it Ms. Sommers is not on a lot of fundraising committees.
The Sisters dress up in drag. If it was a group of women dressing up in exaggerated examples of masculinity, would you be angry too?
Tell me Sommers, what is the RIGHT version of femininity and who depicts that? Please enlighten all of us.
Judge-y wudge-y was a bear. An angry bear who needs to lighten up. Maybe dressing in drag would do you good.
Wade (and Eric, and Joel, and Steve, and Meg) really makes an excellent case here, regarding Dixon’s rant about the sisters.
I work primarily with LBGTIQQA folks, in private practice as a licensed clinical psychologist, as a member of Humboldt State’s Critical Race, Gender and Sexuality Studies department, and as owner of a local business that is a proud supporter of Humboldt Pride.
I’m confident that if there were a well-spring of criticism as Dixon describes it, I would have heard it. While I don’t know Mr./Ms. Sommers, I am confident I have more expertise here than s/he does.
Drag, in the sense that the Sisters perform it, isn’t remotely misogynistic or anti-feminist. They are effective fund-raisers working (unlike many other houses of sisters) on a broad variety of causes in our community.
I’d love to see a list of what Dixon has accomplished, please feel free to respond here. I think we’d all like to see those.
Dr. Melinda Myers
Dixon Summers, I applaud your courage. Be very careful, there is no more dangerous creature than a scorned homosexual. If you do not celebrate their depravity, you may find yourself in danger. Remember the Seinfeld episode: “You MUST wear the AIDS ribbon!” Dr. Myers, the fact that Humboldt State has a Race, Gender and Sexuality Department is in itself an outrage. Maybe that’s why American college grads are barely literate. LBGTIQQA? WTF?
Heidi, you go girl!
Only 10% of U.S. college students vote.
If all they learn is the heroic reality of a LBGT community that brings fewer children onto a dying, polluted, over-populated planet…
Bravo!
“Dixon Summers, I applaud your courage.”
Thank you! I appreciate your support.
BTW, Wade, I’m a man. Dixon is a man’s name.
Thanks again, everyone, for your support!!
Why on earth would you appreciate support for such a bigoted, ignorant viewpoint? I notice you didn’t have a single word of rebuttal or apology to all the people who pointed out the hateful ignorance of your little screel.
I WAS right, and you were unable to produce all these throngs of people disgusted at the Sisters’ performances. You CLAIM they exist, and you cannot produce a single one. That makes you a liar.
“BTW, Wade, I’m a man. Dixon is a man’s name.”
Dixon is a dog’s name. I have no idea what gender you are, and I don’t care.
You see, mature people don’t make an issue out of things like that.
“you were unable to produce all these throngs of people disgusted at the Sisters’ performances.”
Wade, get your ego under control. I’m under no obligation to respond to the questions of someone who calls another “a dog”.
You seem angry and a bit unstable Wade. I hope you get the help you clearly need. I won’t respond to you again.
“Wade, get your ego under control. I’m under no obligation to respond to the questions of someone who calls another “a dog”.”
Um, it’s called “Journalistic Integrity” and you are under obligation to at least provide some sort of support for your accusations.
You stated openly that vast untold throngs of people were offended by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, but you couldn’t produce a single one, or even grab a quote from one of them.
And I didn’t call you a dog – if you did on a soccer field what you just did here, you’d get tagged for “Flopping”.
So show a little integrity and produce one of these voiceless unseen victims of the Sisters.
“You seem angry and a bit unstable Wade.”
This isn’t about me, no matter how much you’d like to make it so. This is about your unsupportable accusations against the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
You know, those same accusations that make you seem angry and a bit unstable.
Wait a minute…..I’ve been corresponding with Wade Long who thinks he is really a witch! Yes, dude thinks he has magic powers and he prances around Eureka in a pointed hat with a wand.
You really want names, Wade? You actually think I’m going to put people’s names out on the web without their permission? Oh mighty witch, you’ve been sniffing your own fairy dust.
Hey, it’s nearly Halloween, Wade. That’s surely a big day for you! Now run along and practice some of that magic. I’m through responding to you.
Just click those heels together, Wade. Harry Potter is a documentary, right? LOL!!!!!
Nice, real nice, now you’re attacking someone’s religious beliefs. Way to take the high road, jackass. Let me sum up your beliefs, here, Dix. “Ewwwww! Mens in dresses! EEEEEW! Demon rum!!! EEEWWWW ! Witches! Also, dur hur hur at you all.” What a tool.
Actually, Deb, you have it right: Men in dresses! EEEEW! They are a stain on the gay community. We agree.
……and Wade Long IS really funny, what with dancing about thinking he has magic powers. Maybe you two could join up this Halloween and go trick or treating together. This town can always use a laugh!!! Please, though, don’t tell anyone you’re gay.
LOL!!!!!!
Dixon Summers sure “LOL”s a lot for someone who so lacks any sense of humor.
“Wait a minute…..I’ve been corresponding with Wade Long who thinks he is really a witch!”
Why not? You think you’re really a journalist.
The difference, once again, is that this isn’t about me. The fact that you keep attacking me personally instead of discussing the subject only highlights the fact that you’ve lost faith in your own argument.
That means you’ve simply lost.
Point 1: Dixon, just because you can’t reinforce your own points, and justify your own beliefs doesn’t give you the authority to judge, criticize, or belittle someone else’s.
Point 2: Did I seriously just respond to someone who uses the pen name “Dicks-In-Summers?” LOL! At least WE have the guts to use our own names!
Oh my freaking god.
“Dicks in Summer”
Okay, that was the nuke. This is officially over. I’m laughing waaaaaay too hard.