@harinef Photo by @marc_giuffre

MOTHER DAUGHTER HOLY SPIRIT

May 26, 2025

Last night, under the glittering lights, the spirit of resistance met the pulse of celebration. Mother, Daughter, Holy Spirit hosted HOLY SPIRIT, a night of performance, dancing, and radical joy in support of the Trans Justice Funding Project. With an A-list guest list and an urgent mission, the evening wasn’t just a party—it was a power surge for the trans community and a testament to the beauty of showing up, giving back, and dancing forward.

TEXT JESPER GUDBERGSEN @yessirjesper
PHOTOGRAPHERS AVA PERMAN @ava_perman MARC GIUFFRE @marc_giuffre MATIAS ALVIAL @matialvial
THANK YOU GIA KUAN CONSULTING @giakuanconsulting

In a city that never sleeps, Thursday night felt different. On May 22nd, at the lush jungle-lounge of GITANO NYC, the queer divine gathered under moonlight and mirrorballs for HOLY SPIRIT—a fundraiser-meets-festival from the team behind Mother, Daughter, Holy Spirit. But this wasn’t just another party with a purpose. It was a love letter to the trans community, a thunderous hallelujah for joy as resistance, and a moment of real, tangible fundraising power for the Trans Justice Funding Project.

Organized by MDHS, a trans-led initiative rooted in love, fashion, and fierce organizing, HOLY SPIRIT was both celebration and ceremony. It honored the trailblazers—Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Cecilia Gentili, and countless unnamed heroes—by continuing their legacy with the fiercest tool the community has: each other.

Founded by Bobbi Salvör Menuez and John Mollett, Mother, Daughter, Holy Spirit emerged as a grassroots force raising funds for trans justice through fashion, art, and community-centered creativity. In just a few short months, they’ve managed to mobilize a high-profile list of supporters and deliver gorgeous impactful fundraising moments - from closet sales by the likes of Hari Nef, Lena Waithe, Tommy Dorfman and Chloë Sevigny to fashion shows, including looks by Vacquera, Womens History Museum, Magliano and Miss Claire Sullivan

“Mother Daughter Holy Spirit means so many things, but to me personally I feel like it’s honoring the mothers of our community. I am a mother to so many people and it’s a sacred thing - the Holy Spirit is what I pass on to my children and other mothers. The spirit to thrive, the Holy Spirit to continue to fight.”

Ceyenne Doroshow, co-host of Holy Spirit

Photo by @ava_perman
@chloessevigny Photo by @marc_giuffre

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Their secret sauce? A deep reverence for the past, paired with a refusal to be anything but joyfully future-facing. MDHS doesn’t ask permission. It throws glitter in the face of oppression and dares to dream of a world where trans people not only survive but thrive.

HOLY SPIRIT was designed as both a thank-you and a call-in. It gave gratitude to the community that’s carried MDHS so far and welcomed newcomers to the table. The evening began with ambient, emotional performances from artists like Liam Benzvi, Holland Andrews, Ren G, and Kinlaw. These early acts set the tone: ethereal, expansive, vulnerable, strong.

The vibe shifted gears with the arrival of Christeene, fashion’s own punk prophet, who delivered a headline performance that was raw, raunchy, and radiant with purpose. And as the night progressed, DJs Fashion and Juliana Huxtable carried the crowd into sweaty, euphoric communion—a reminder that dancing has always been sacred in queer spaces. As MDHS founder Bobbi put it earlier in the evening : “this is the sexiest room in New York right now”

@richieshazam Photo by @matialvial
@spaceprincejulio @christeene_official Photo by @marc_giuffre

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“As we move closer to June, I think of Pride. And we are exactly where we were when the movement started, when Marsha and Sylvia were basically excommunicated from the Pride events. Right now is a reflection of that time, and I just can’t believe we are here. It brings me joy to see the young generation organizing like this, they’re very good at it. But it’s important that they listen - these things were not written by us, they were written by the people who paved the ground before us - these stories are what you use to organize.”

Ceyenne Doroshow, co-host of the Holy Spirit

This was not performance for performance’s sake. It was reclamation. Celebration as resistance. Bodies moving together, not just for the beat, but for the cause.

Star power showed up and showed out. From indie icons to industry legends, the host committee read like a Vogue-meets-activism dream lineup: Jari Jones, Chloë Sevigny, Hari Nef, Julio Torres, Ceyenne Doroshow, Tommy Dorfman, Martine Gutierrez, Bowen Yang, and more. These weren’t just photo-op appearances—they lent their names, platforms, and networks to make sure this fundraiser had teeth.

And that’s the magic of MDHS: it merges visibility with substance. Fashion with funding. Art with action. It’s not enough to wear the t-shirt—you better know what it’s funding, and why it matters.

Since 2012, the Trans Justice Funding Project has been getting money into the hands of grassroots trans-led groups across the U.S. Unlike traditional nonprofits with rigid hierarchies and slow-moving grant systems, TJFP is nimble, trust-based, and community-run. A rotating panel of trans activists decides where funds go, and grants are awarded to those doing the real work - organizing against racism, transmisogyny, incarceration, economic injustice, and more.

Every dollar raised at HOLY SPIRIT goes directly to support these groups. No strings. No bureaucracy. Just direct action.

@djnatalienyc Photo by @ava_perman

“Our family relationships are so important because a lot of us are not part of our biological family any longer. We have to find our spirit and our gumption to live through our chosen families. Holy Spirit serves as a prelude to a very gentle kiss from people like, from our elders - a kiss from mother.” Ceyenne Doroshow, co-host of Holy Spirit

What made the night unforgettable wasn’t just the performances, the outfits (though, yes, they were spectacular), or even the celebrities—it was the feeling in the air. It was trans people being celebrated not for their pain, but for their brilliance. It was a reminder that trans joy is not just radical—it’s essential.

There were tears when Qween Jean took the mic. Applause that felt like thunder when the MDHS team spoke about how far the project had come. And there was that particular kind of magic that happens only when people who have been told they don’t belong take up all the space.

This wasn’t a charity gala or a donor dinner. It was a new kind of sacred space—one where holiness had nothing to do with church pews and everything to do with chosen family, collective power, and sequins.

MDHS has proven that fundraising doesn’t have to be sterile or stiff. It can be fun, sexy, punk, irreverent, and still incredibly effective. Their past initiatives—like the celebrity closet sale and the now-iconic t-shirt campaign—made giving feel cool again. They’ve partnered fashion with funding in a way that feels entirely fresh.

@geenarocero @lio.mehiel @iamjarijones @qween_jean Photo by @matialvial
@willieherself @willienorrisworkshop Photo by @marc_giuffre

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But they’re not stopping. The energy around HOLY SPIRIT suggests that MDHS is just getting started. As the world turns its attention to trans rights with urgency (and, too often, with despair), MDHS is offering a different lens: one of abundance, beauty, and possibility.

If you missed the event, the work continues. MDHS still has closet sale items and limited edition t-shirts available for purchase at motherdaughterholyspirit.nyc. Every purchase is a contribution toward justice.

And for those looking to go deeper, support TJFP directly. Follow the work. Fund the work. Share the work. Because as HOLY SPIRIT reminded everyone on that dance floor—freedom is a collective project, and no one gets free alone.

In a city full of parties, HOLY SPIRIT was something more: a portal. A proof of concept that the trans community doesn’t just deserve support—it commands it. With elegance, with rage, with glitter, with grace.

To dance is to remember. To remember is to act. To act is to love. And love, in the face of a world that tries to erase you, is the most holy spirit of all.