In my youth, people dressed up to go to church. Men wore ties with suits or sports jackets; women wore dresses, heels and hats.
Today, anything goes.
Being a senior citizen, I dressed somewhere in between anything goes mode and the dress, heels and hat mode. I wore black slacks, pink jacket, white camisole, and black booties.
I was in a rush and the photos I took look it. So instead of burdening you with a blurry photo from yesterday, I offer an old photo of me basically wearing the same outfit. The only difference was I wore my pageboy hairdo, a different cami and bag.
I went solo because the other agnostics in the house had no interest in going or they did not want to be seen in public with a tranny (take your pick).
I went to the church I usually attended when I was more religious about attending. I have known the Pastor since high school and over the years, became acquainted with some of the parishioners to one degree or another.
The 10:30 AM Mass is usually packed and yesterday was no exception; the parking lot was full and when I entered the church I had to search for a seat. I found a seat in an empty row about two-thirds down the aisle and laid claim to it.
I recognized a few Parishioners, but no one I knew by name. The Mass was uneventful and over an hour later, we filed out of the church.
The Pastor always stands at the exit to say goodbye to his flock and as I filed by, he said, “Welcome to our church.”
“Thank you, Father,” I replied.
“I hope we will see you again,” he added.
I smiled and said, “Maybe.”
Akihiro Miwa, Japanese singer, actor, director, composer and author
being chauffeured on a Tokyo nightclub tour.
Wearing Alice + Olivia.
Stana
ReplyDeleteIt seems like you had a perfectly wonderful experience. Going to church while dressed is on my bucket list but I am not all that confident that I can pull it off. I was in church this weekend and I concur with your comments about how women dress for Mass.
I remember as a child sitting in church. Back then all women wore dresses to church. During communion I would sit in my pew and count the number of women who wore stockings with seams and how many wore seemless stockings or pantyhose. Today it is likely that the majority of women in church will not be wearing any hose.
Pat
Stana I attend Mass every Sunday en femme and its wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI stopped going to Mass some years ago because I could not reconcile my catholic upbringing with my gender disphoria. Not that I could ever pass in a public situation, let alone at church. Also, when I was younger, was more distracted by what women were wearing then paying attention to mass. Also, as an ex-seminarian, I figured I had built up about 400 daily Mass credits that I could apply to Sundays. Have used those up years ago. Joanna, I hadn't seen your blog before, and look forward to reading more. And Stana, like a good Polish girl, you went to church. I am sure my late Mom would be happy if I went, but shocked if I went as a lady, no matter how well I dressed.
DeleteI imagine it would be a wonderful experience to be accepted as you presented, regardless of being 'read' or not.
ReplyDeleteI feel that many people who attend Church on a Sunday morning, like to dress in a way that separates Sundays from the rest of the week, those who wear a suit and tie all week will e in jeans and trainers while those who (like me) wear that sort of thing all week will be more "dressed up", it is about making Sunday different. After all it is meant to be a separate day, set aside for rest and worship, it should be special and I suspect that yours was.
ReplyDeleteI am with Pat - on my bucket list. My church is too small and would create QUITE the uproar, so I hold out hope for when I'm out of town on business. The only problem is I haven't been out of town over a weekend for a LONG time. ~~sigh~~ Someday.
ReplyDeleteStana, this was a wonderful post. I more or less have stayed away from the Church since the big scandal in my former home town in your neck of the woods. If the pastor knew you were trans, then praise be to him. If not....well I certainly couldn't tell by looking at you in that picture.
ReplyDeleteHow was the new liturgy?
Calie
Stana, I am proud of you for a number of reasons, religous and otherwise. As I have mentioned before, going to Mass as my feminine self has allowed me to realize that God accepts me as he made me. I hope that you will find the same joy from acceptance as I have. During a recent retreat I attended, I sat down with a priest and had a discussion about my burden - being bi-gendered. It was a very good talk and at no time did we discuss the assertion that dressing as a woman was a sin, which, of course, is the correct interpretation of what we need to do to survive. I have made this priest my confesser.
ReplyDeleteWRT going out dressed, I commend you for going to your "regular" church even if has been a while since you were last there. The possibility that someone will recognize me is just too much. I did once have to go to church in the town I was living - the winter weather got too bad to travel to the next city - and sure enough there were a few people I sort of knew from work. No one recognized me though. You on the other had, went into the lion's den. Congratulations!
I am a bit jealous though (is that a sin? :) ). I can only go when my wife is out of town as she doesn't want to see me. She was out of town recently but I had things I needed to do at Mass on Sunday so I couldn't go elsewhere.
Leann
I too enjoy attending the celebration of the Mass looking nice in a Sunday's-best dress, although I feel like my local conservative parish is far from welcoming and tolerant. My solution has been driving about 20 minutes farther away to a church in DC that is accepting in a big way. While I don't know many other parishioners by name I feel that we know each other by sight on Sunday and I see that I am not the only transgender person in attendance. Also you look great in that outfit! - Andee
ReplyDeleteIn rural churches in Poland was once a custom that men and women sat separately on the space of two sides of the aisle. On which side you sat down? :)
ReplyDeleteMy family were parishioners at a Polish Catholic parish in Connecticut and when I was a child, the church had a men's side and a women's side.
Delete