Sister Roma! (There's No Place Like Rome)
"The Most Photographed Nun In The World." ™
Sister Roma has been one of the most outspoken and globally recognized members of San Francisco's Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence for four decades, dedicating her entire adult life to community service, activism, and fundraising.
She has helped raise over $1M for charity and created social movements, including Drag Up! Fight Back!, the #MyNameIs campaign, Stop The Violence, and Sisters Care: Safety First, Sexy Second, to name a few. She has served as the Grand Marshal of Pride in San Francisco, Palm Springs, Prague, and Shanghai, and was named SF Most Notable Drag Queen (2011), Bay Area Best Activist (2014), SFAF Cleve Jones Leadership Award (2019), 2023 Pride Honoree by the California State Legislature LGBT Caucus, and SF’s Best Drag Queen Besties Awards 2026..
But don't get it twisted, this Sister is no Saint! Her colorful wit and sharp tongue have made Roma one of San Francisco’s favorite entertainers and emcees. Refered to by the Hollywood Reporter as “Bea Arthur in kabuki makeup with the comic timing to match,” she can be found hosting galas and on the main stages of SF Pride, Folsom Street Fair, and Easter in the Park, where she emcees the world-famous Hunky Jesus Contest. She has appeared in films, on television, on stage and is a frequent guest on podcasts and televised interviews. Roma is blessed to travel the globe as an LGBTQ ambassador, performer, and event host, striving to uphold her Sisterly vows to expiate stigmatic guilt and promulgate universal joy.
Selected Awards & Recognition
SF Most Notable Drag Queen 2011
SF Pride Grand Marshal 2012
Bay Area Best Activist 2014
SFAF Cleve Jones Leadership Award 2019
Academy SF Legends Archive 2020
GayVN Hall of Fame 2022
California LGBTQ Caucus Pride Honoree 2023
"Best Drag Queen" BAR Besties 2026
Follow Roma
Instagram — @Sister_Roma
Sister Roma in the News
Sister Roma - The Whole Story (interview)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHT9v9H6gnYProfiles in Courage and Compassion: Sister Roma
http://sfbaytimes.com/profiles-in-courage-and-compassion-sister-roma/Sister Roma v. Facebook on the Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/sister-roma/(CNN) Facebook ‘real name” policy stirs questions around identity
http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/16/living/facebook-name-policy/Protestors Target Facebook’s ‘real name’ Policy (BBC)
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-32961249Sister Roma honored on the floor of the California State Legislature
https://www.kron4.com/news/sf-drag-queens-honored-on-floor-of-california-state-legislature/Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence launch new 'Safety First, Sexy Second' buddy system campaign
https://www.thesisters.org/safetyfirst
Major Projects within the Order:
Founder, the Stop The Violence campaign
Creator, #MyNameIs movement to allow users to identify authentically on Facebook
Co-Creator, "Safety First, Sexy Second" Hookup Safety Campaign
Join The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence