Manhattan’s Catholic St. Patrick’s Cathedral attracts colorful crowd for funeral of atheist transgender former sex worker, with poster with word ‘whore’ in Spanish displayed on altar and words to ‘Ave Maria’ changed to include her name
Manhattan’s iconic cathedral welcomed a diverse crowd to celebrate the life of an Argentine transgender activist, former sex worker and self-proclaimed atheist.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue hosted the funeral of Cecilia Gentili, an immigrant known for her vibrant personality and commitment to social justice.
Gentili died on February 6 at the age of 52 of unknown causes at her home in Brooklyn.
The cathedral’s pews were packed with friends and fans of Gentili, who was an iconic presence in the LGBTQ+ community for her strong stance on transgender rights and outspoken stance on AIDS.
Gentili’s funeral also functioned as a celebration of life and as a piece of ‘political theatre’ The New York Times described it.
Manhattan’s iconic cathedral welcomed a diverse crowd to celebrate the life of an Argentine transgender activist, former sex worker and self-proclaimed atheist
St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue hosted the funeral of Cecilia Gentili, an immigrant known for her vibrant personality and commitment to social justice
Despite Gentili being a self-proclaimed atheist, the funeral organizer – Ceyenne Doroshow – chose St. Patrick’s Cathedral as the location for her funeral.
More than 1,000 mourners descended on the cathedral, many of whom dressed in daring outfits with lots of glitter, bright colors and even a feather boa made from $100 bills.
A photo at the altar showed Mrs. Gentili with a halo surrounded by the Spanish words for “transvestite,” “whore,” “blessed” and “mother” above the text of Psalm 25.
A mourner at one point outshone the priest by singing “Ave Maria,” but changed the lyrics to “Ave Cecilia” before dancing down the aisles.
Hundreds of funeral goers, like Gentili, were transgender people who were shocked by her death – which came at a politically tense time for the community.
Despite Gentili being a self-proclaimed atheist, the funeral organizer – Ceyenne Doroshow – chose St. Patrick’s Cathedral as the location for her funeral.
New York City is home to at least ten gay-friendly Catholic parishes, but St. Patrick’s Cathedral is not one of them.
In planning the ceremony, Doroshow made no mention of Gentili’s lack of religious affiliation with the church. “I kind of hid it,” she said.
Doroshow had wanted the service to take place at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on February 15 because “it’s an icon, just like them.”
Despite Gentili being a self-proclaimed atheist, the funeral organizer – Ceyenne Doroshow – chose St. Patrick’s Cathedral (pictured) as the location for her funeral
New York City is home to at least ten gay-friendly Catholic parishes, but St. Patrick’s Cathedral is not one of them
Gentili was born in Argentina to Italian and Argentinian parents and was sexually abused by a neighbor during her childhood. She came out as gay at the age of 12 and her father and brother struggled to accept her sexuality
Gentili died on February 6 at the age of 52 of unknown causes at her home in Brooklyn
Gentili was born in Argentina to Italian and Argentinian parents and was sexually abused by a neighbor during her childhood. She came out as gay at age 12, and her father and brother struggled to accept her sexuality.
The activist later moved to the United States, where she lived in Miami and then New York City.
She struggled to find a job because she had no legal status and turned to sex work in New York.
In 2009, Gentili was arrested on drug possession charges and locked up in Rikers, but was released with an ankle monitor after it was determined she could not live safely with men or women.
She became a U.S. citizen in September 2022 and released a book the same year titled Faltas: Letters to Everyone in My Hometown Who Isn’t My Rapist.