A funeral liturgy held on Thursday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Cecilia Gentili, a prominent “transgender activist and actress, former sex worker and self-professed atheist,” has ignited a firestorm of controversy.
The service, which took place in one of the most revered Catholic churches in the United States, has drawn intense criticism on social media.
The service, which took place in the hallowed halls of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, has been criticized for the misuse of the iconic church, challenging Catholic teachings.
Gentili, an Argentinian transgender activist and self-proclaimed atheist, was a leading figure in efforts to decriminalize sex work in New York and championed the inclusion of “gender identity” as a protected classification under state human rights law, according to Post Millennial.
Gentili was also a significant fundraiser for transgender causes and had received a $540,000 grant from the Biden administration for transgender outreach related to HIV.
The funeral was organized by Ceyenne Doroshow, founder of Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society (GLITS), who saw St. Patrick’s Cathedral as a fitting venue for Gentili’s “iconic status.”
However, Doroshow admitted to the New York Times not disclosing Gentili’s transgender identity to the church officials, stating, “I kind of kept it under wraps.”
The funeral service itself included prayers for access to sex-change surgery. A particularly provocative farewell message described Gentili as “puta,” which means whore in English.
“This whore. This great whore. St. Cecilia, Mother of all Whores!” said one of the activists.