Controversy between church and trans community over funeral of Argentine activist at New York cathedral

asked the archbishop of New York Cecilia Gentilly's funeralThe Argentinian trans activist died two weeks ago and was laid to rest at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. “Sacrifice and Deception”The Archdiocese of New York described last Thursday's ceremony, which drew more than a thousand people and described the actress as “the mother of all whores.”

In a statement, the rector of the cathedral, Rev. Enrique Salvo said his office did not know that its “reception and prayer would be desecrated in a very sacred and wrong way”.

Cecilia Gentili's funeral drew more than a thousand worshippers, many of whom wore exotic clothing, to demand protection of transgender and reproductive health and group rights, some of which were chanted by attendees, according to reports. The New York Times.

In a video that went viral on social media, one of the participants can be heard referring to Cecilia as “this whore” in Spanish. This great harlot, Saint Cecilia, is the mother of all harlots.”As the audience breaks into applause.

Catholic Vote, a conservative group that released the video, called the funeral a “mockery of the Christian faith.”

Gentilly self-identified as an atheist. In his statement released Saturday, Father Salvo said only the cathedral was aware that the activist's family and friends had requested “a funeral for a Catholic person.”

Gentili's family, in a news release The New York TimesThe archbishop charged Hypocritical and hates trans people. “The only deception in St Patrick's Cathedral is that it claims to be a welcoming place,” they said.

“We brought precious life and great joy to the cathedral A historical challenge to the Church's hypocrisy and anti-trans hatred. Cecilia Gentili's funeral was a reflection of her love for her community and a testament to the impact of her tireless defense,” they pointed out, as the cathedral could only do during Easter services and NYPD funerals. From Gentili's entourage.

“Gentilly's 'Homecoming' will go down in history as a romantic and intense act Funeral of a revolutionary saint in our society“, they concluded.

The activist, known for defending the rights of sex workers and people living with HIV, devoted a play to her complicated relationship with religion.

In an interview with the magazine in November Interview During the premiere of her new work, “Red Ink,” Gentili said she felt rejected by all Christian groups for being transgender and had abandoned her faith.

Born in Galvez, Santa Fe, Gentili immigrated to the United States at the age of 26. In New York she became a prominent defender of trans rights. He also worked on HIV prevention campaigns.

She has held key positions in non-profit organizations such as LGBTQ GMHC and APICHA. His most notable media appearance was in the Netflix series: was part of Pose, a sensational FX series. In that show, she represented a Latina trans woman living in the United States with questionable silicone.