Feathers fluttered and tassels swayed as a gust of wind swept over the steps of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Saturday night time, Could 31. A whole bunch of queer “pilgrims” and their allies gathered on the storied Higher West Facet church for a Pleasure celebration like no different, every wearing a monochrome outfit with a whimsical Medieval aptitude.
Tyler, who goes by the moniker “the Greedy Peasant,” has racked up a whole lot of 1000’s of followers throughout Instagram and TikTok by means of chronicling the antics of what he calls a “queer medieval fever dream.” This consists of dishing on the drama between Medieval reliquaries, displaying off all of the methods a Catholic can entertain themselves with the leaves given out on Palm Sunday, suggesting concepts for freaky saint-themed Halloween costumes, and speaking all issues tassels.
Left: The Grasping Peasant, who selected to make use of the Saint Snap System to adorn his outfit with luxurious fake pearls; proper: The Grasping Peasant throughout his presentation on the profound which means he finds within the development of tassels
Contained in the Episcopal church on Saturday, attendees marveled at one another’s sartorial creations whereas consuming snacks, ingesting wine, buzzing round craft tables, and getting into their names right into a raffle for a spread of excursions of the cathedral, merch, and papier-mâché mannequin crafted by Tsukerman of wacky particulars from its tapestry assortment.
A variety of artists — from drag queens and different skilled clothes designers to those that had solely lately picked up a needle and thread — had been impressed by the Grasping Peasant’s distinctive mix of poking enjoyable on the oddities of Catholic lore with an insatiable urge for food for quirky artwork historical past. Some attendees used his “patented” Saint Snap System, which he outlined for Hyperallergic as a “a sustainable ornamentation application system where peasants attach decorations to snaps,” to affix tassels of all colours and sizes onto their vestments; others provided their very own spin on the loosely Medieval theme, from dragon and frog costumes impressed by tapestries and manuscripts to protest indicators demanding to “End the 100 Years War.”
Left to proper: Justin Campbell, Katy Cole, Robert Head, and two artists who recognized themselves merely as “two weirdos having fun.” The attendee second from the best created a headpiece impressed by tasseled galero hats worn by bishops earlier than the Catholic Church’s modernization efforts of Vatican II.
Earlier than being serenaded by TRANScend, a New York-based trans and genderfluid classical choir, attendees got a heat welcome by The Very Reverend Dr. Patrick Malloy, the dean of the cathedral. Father Malloy was on the Episcopal Church’s committee to create rites to bless homosexual {couples} in 2012, and had in truth carried out a same-sex wedding ceremony the day gone by that has been allowed within the church since 2015.
Father Malloy informed Hyperallergic that he elevated his efforts to schedule sturdy Pleasure month programming after the Supreme Courtroom overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. “When you start attacking women, it’s not long before you start attacking gay people.”
Many dwell with trauma from experiences of Christian fundamentalist homophobia, significantly throughout a time of elevated conservatism. Certainly, some attendees giggled knowingly at Father Malloy’s suggestion that they normally wouldn’t be caught anyplace close to a church, even one as welcoming as St. John the Divine. Others establish as Christians estranged from the church, like buddies Jane Kotapish and Darcy Draeger. They are saying that Grasping Peasant provided a approach to reconnect to the non secular identities they’d rising up.
“I really connected with the iconography and the humor,” stated Draeger, who held a stuffed lamb in her homage to the depiction of St. Agnes within the Catholic kids’s e-book The Image Ebook of Saints.
“He’s kind of like a bridge for people who feel othered by their own faith,” Kotapish stated of Grasping Peasant. “He brings joy back into it.”
Left: Sam Bennett poses in plaid; middle: Emma Wheylin stuns in royal purple; proper: Nina City topped her yellow ensemble with a halo of blooming faux-flowers.
Associates Hilary and Mel, who say, “We feel like too much is just enough.”
For the Grasping Peasant himself, the very exuberance of his ensembles is its personal type of liberation and expression.
“When I was a peasant child and had to wear ‘church clothes’ every Sunday, the khaki pants and button-down shirts felt like the most boring possible outfit option,” he informed Hyperallergic . “And so with this event, I wanted people to have the opportunity to come into a church in the most exciting ensembles they could create which truly reflected their identity.”
One attendee, Hilary, spoke to the inspiration behind her light-up dayglo blue ensemble of tule and butterflies: “For some reason, I thought, ‘The world is so dark … I just want to be butterflies. A cloud of butterflies.” Her buddy Mel, additionally draped in blue tule, chimed in: “And I just wanted to be a cloud!”
On the finish of the night, the grand corridor of the historic cathedral was lit up within the six conventional pleasure colours, and topped close to the altar with the pastel blue and pink lights of the trans flag. Fabulously decked-out Colour Group Leaders shepherded the pilgrims based mostly on the colour of their outfits right into a grand procession within the order of the rainbow, filling the sanctuary earlier than spilling into the night time in an excellent mosaic of queer Medieval pleasure.
The craft tables, accompanied by banners crafted by William PK Carter and Matthew Lavoie, had been crammed with all method of stickers, sequins, and googly eyes out there for every “pilgrim” to brighten a badge symbolizing their colour affiliation. 
A riot of neon yellow, worn by Jennifer Taves, who goes by @costumegasm on Instagram
Left: When Alana Whitman acquired this inexperienced hat she ordered on-line, she determined to exchange all of its feathers herself, the utmost pizazz befitting Pleasure Eve; proper: Needlefelting artist J Hann selected to handcraft this amphibian masks. They stated, “ I think frogs are non-binary. Like me!”
5 members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, who describe themselves as an order of queer and trans nuns who unfold positivity and do charitable acts
From left to proper: Pavel Kinney-Chesakov, Hannah Kinney, Lyyli Kinney-Chesakov, and Boris Chesakov; middle: Kelly Comeaux (@ke11y24 on Instagram) was considered one of many to put on a towering medieval “hennin,” the long-lasting cone-shaped headdress; proper: Alexa dressed as only one massive tassel.
Associates Jane Kotapish and Darcy Draeger, carrying alongside a stuffed lamb to finish her costume impressed by the illustration of St. Agnes in a traditional Catholic e-book, The Lives of the Saints
“Color Team Leaders” Aaron Banes, Victor Ayala, and Ayun Halliday
The yellow Colour Group Chief, Joseph Lymous (@jomiray on Instagram)
Sister Cecelia (performed by Yuliya Tsukerman) holding a papier-mâché tackle three bees driving a plough, which the Grasping Peasant noticed on a tapestry in St. John the Divine’s in depth textile assortment, which was a raffle award. The piece was awarded together with a complimentary tour of the textiles. 
St. John the Divine lit up within the colours of the Pleasure rainbow, with the blue and pink of the trans flag behind the altar
An artist who goes by @adrakedraws (proper) created a “subway king and queen” look.
