Introducing
Novice Sister Verandah Gobbie
The Sisters are thrilled to welcome Novice Sister Verandah Gobbie to the Sydney House of the Order of Perpetual Indulgence.
Come on in. No really, come closer. Pull up a chair, lean on the railing, have a squint at the entrance, knock on some wood if you’re that way inclined.
I’m Novice Sister Verandah Gobbie.
And like a verandah, I’m a lovely place to sit when you’re not quite inside yet…. I got nothing subtle for gobbie haha.
I joined the Order on 11 October 2025, at my very first Nuncheon at Sister Eileen Dover's convent, a bit of nervous excitement, and a sense that something important was happening whether I fully understood it or not. The Sisters had been drifting into my line of sight all year. I’d seen them in the Mardi Gras Parade, which, to be fair, is about the only thing I remember seeing before passing out on a friend’s bed. Hello Richard. Bless you and your hospitality.
I’d also encountered the Sisters in a book. When I say “read,” I mean “listened to,” because dyslexia and printed pages are not on speaking terms. Later, I spotted Sister Beefcake Tenderloin’s Old Habits popping up on ABC Queer Instagram. I watched it. Then watched it again. Then did what any sensible person would do and disappeared down the Sisters’ website, tumbling headfirst into a habit-hole of perpetual indulgence and thinking, “Ah. Yes. These are my people.”
Religion and I have a complicated past. I grew up in a not particularly religious household, went to a very religious borderline evangelical Christian high school, and noticed early on that there were quite a few plot holes, a generous serving of hypocrisy, and a troubling enthusiasm for telling teenagers they were going to hell for things they hadn’t even worked out yet. When I came out a close family member reacted so well they converted to Catholicism which didn't exactly work out well for them and add a string of brutal losses of close friends to the mortal realm, and you’d think I’d be done with religion entirely.
And yet...
I don’t hate belief. People can believe whatever they like. Truly. I’ve even related, at times, to the Good Word itself. Mostly the bits about a man who spent all his time with twelve other blokes and once said “get behind me, Satan.”
Was the big J.C. a bottom? I’ll leave that up to you to decide. But I’m not joking about the quote, he absolutely said that. Look it up.
Anyways…
Institutions however that trade in fear, shame, and guilt, that turn humans against each other and keep everyone small and scared? Those I take issue with. I’ve spent too much of my life hiding, feeling guilty, apologising for existing. And not nearly enough time experiencing joy.
That’s why the Sisters resonated so deeply.
I don’t think you need to understand someone to accept them. You don’t need to “get it.” You just need to recognise that this is who they are, wish them well, and get on with your day without causing harm. Radical stuff, apparently. And that’s where Sister Verandah Gobbie comes in.
My calling is the propagation of universal joy through humour. I’m here for acceptance without conditions, freedom from stigmatic guilt, and making space for people to be exactly who they are. I’m especially passionate about working with Sydney’s fetish and kink communities, the trans community (and they've been fighting by our side since day dot people!) the queer alternative groups, and everyone from the sex workers to the drag queens, helping bring visibility, humanity, and understanding. Not as something separate or shocking, but as part of the same community. There is no dividing wall. We are one messy, gorgeous, ridiculous collective, and everyone deserves dignity, safety, and joy.
I also come with lived experience from working in construction, where being openly queer can still cost you jobs, friendships, or your sense of security. It gives you a very clear read on where “the average straight bloke” is actually at. And the truth is, the tide has turned. Since marriage equality, since visibility increased, since the collapse of that orange golfer–led authoritarian circus across the Pacific, support has grown. But rights are never permanent. We need to fight to keep them. We need to stand up for each other. Every time. Every day.
Because right now, the evangelicals are back, loud and grabby, peddling fear like it’s a growth industry. And fear absolutely hates being laughed at.
Humour is powerful. It disarms. It exposes. It reminds people of their own humanity.
So what better place to wield it than from a nun’s habit? What better platform than an Order over forty years old, rich in history, mischief, resistance, and care? The Sisters may have gotten a bit quiet for a while, but make no mistake: there is a second coming, and it’s already knocking at the door.
So welcome to the verandah, come and sit for a while.
Yours truly, Sister Verandah Gobbie