In this op-ed, SiriusXM Radio host Xorje Olivares shared his reactions to the 2018 Met Gala as a person who identifies as both queer and a member of the Catholic church.

Bless me Father for I have sinned: I just spent an entire night finger-wagging at Rihanna serving ‘Clergy Couture’ at Monday’s Met Gala. The event co-chair epitomized the theme, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” and made this queer Catholic a strong believer.

But Saint Robyn and her Fenty-mobile weren’t alone. Shawn Mendes and Hailey Baldwin were breathtaking as the perfect Wedding at Cana guests. Gigi Hadid and Selena Gomez looked stunning, as though they were receiving the rite of Confirmation at their swanky Upper East Side parish later that evening. New mom Kylie Jenner in black absolved me of my sins. Actor Chadwick Boseman had me quenching my thirst with buckets of holy water. Singer Katy Perry flew down and took her rightful place among the choir of angels she oversees. Latinx powerhouse Jennifer López gave me the latest from the Haus of Joan of Arc. Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood had me 'Doubting Thomas-ing’ my sexuality. Newly-out goddess Janelle Monáe saved her Sunday best for Monday, with a hat that screamed, “I'm sitting in the front pew, and yes, you can move if you can't see.” Rapper Cardi B told the Virgin Mary to hold her chalice. And Emmy-winning performer Lena Waithe’s rainbow flag cape completely answered my prayers in terms of actually addressing the queer nature of fashion’s most gag-worthy annual gathering, regardless of its controversial theme.

Because there were gags galore this year, and my gay Catholic heart couldn't take it. The iconography I grew up with and admire to this day as a church-going millennial (from Rihanna's jewel-encrusted papal miter to Sarah Jessica Parker's tiny nativity scene tucked into her headpiece), it was all on full display for what many consider to be a religious experience. And I can see why, even if my Old Navy wardrobe says otherwise. I definitely got my life watching my sexual and spiritual worlds collide as gay male designers and their muses, as well as other fine famous faces, made their way up those iconic museum steps to honor my religion’s contributions to their field. Even though I've always seen the fashion component to my Catholic faith (I mean, I wore altar boy drag for 10 years in my Texas border town!) I just needed the celebs that I follow on Twitter to show me how crosses and halos could be show-stopping accessories, all reportedly with the Vatican’s approval. I see you, Nick Jonas with that gold chain, and so does Jesus.

Honestly, what gay doesn't love a good show, especially one that celebrates the individual, from someone like Madonna or Zendaya to Michael B. Jordan. Each attendee, with their own unique point of view, made the conscious decision to dress themselves in their particular attire; to wear that color, wear that fabric, and wear the suit or dress that best embodied their personality. Because as proud lesbian, Lena Waithe proved on Monday that fashion can be inherently political (no matter its price tag) and is among the strongest of statements we can make for ourselves; we use textiles, patterns, and sometimes intricate designs as a means of denoting self-expression. We don our identities daily and wait for the world to see them in the hopes that critiques are kept to an absolute minimum since we place so much thought into our presentations.