Controversial ‘One Margarita’ preacher claims to be a gay icon in latest viral clip
Sister Cindy is infamous for her campus tirades (Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Sister Cindy is infamous for her campus tirades (Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Evangelical preacher Cindy Smock, known as Sister Cindy, who previously went viral for her bizarre campus appearances, has declared herself a “gay icon” – but she is by no means an ally to the community.
Smock has spent the last 40 years touring university campuses across the US and preaching against drugs, premarital sex and homosexuality in the name of Christianity, however, since 2021 she has gained a following amongst college-age students after videos of her crude tirades using Gen Z slang, sexual references and entirely quotable, Mean Girls-esque quips have repeatedly gone viral on TikTok.
Smock’s own, official account on the video sharing platform, created in March 2021 in response to her sudden online fame, has amassed more than 400,000 followers. She even has merch.
Her “Ho No Mo’” revolution – or “hoe no more”, for those out of the loop – has seen Smock introduce her preaching to students as “Welcome to Sister Cindy’s Slut-Shaming Show” where she takes aim at young women who have consensual sex.
@sistercindyforreal 10/6 – Ohio State U 10/7 – U of Toledo (OH) 10/8 – Bowling Green State U (OH) 10/13 – Indiana U–Bloomington 10/14 – Indiana U–Indy (11 a.m.–1 p.m.) 10/14 – Butler College (2–4 p.m.) 10/15 – Indiana State U (IN) 10/21 – U of Missouri (MO) 10/22 – Missouri S&T 10/27 – U of Arkansas (AR) 10/28 – U of Central Arkansas (AR) 10/29 – Arkansas State U (AR) 11/5 – Flagler College (FL) 11/10–13 – TBA – 11/17–20 – TBA –Who wants me?
♬ original sound – Sister Cindy
The crowds that turn out to see her on their campuses in their hundreds whoop and cheer and boo along with her, but their response seems to be firmly tongue-in-cheek, rather than appreciation of her ultra-conservative Christian mission.
The length and breadth of what Smock has said over the years is quite literally impossible to compile, but here is a small flavour:
“There are some whores in this town,” Smock whispers into a microphone with all the teasing of a pantomime villain, as students gasp and cheer.
“These panther hoes are beautiful,” Smock warns another tittering crowd, “they look like a dream… but they are a nightmare!”
“You’re in BIGGGGGG trouble,” Smock singsongs on another campus, “you’re headed for the eternal, everlasting link of FIREEEEEEEEEEE!”
“”If you buy her one margarita, she will spread her legs!”
Most infamously, a video of Smock declaring “if you buy her one margarita, she will spread her legs!” – and other sexual acts, depending how many margaritas are brought – was remixed by The Chick Angel and amassed millions of views on TikTok.
In one, recently posted video that appears to have been filmed at The University of Toledo in Ohio, the 67-year-old Smock discussed her own viral fame and declared herself a “gay icon”
“I’m a gay icon, if you haven’t heard,” Smock told listening students.
“I have no idea how it happened. Where are my gay friends? Where are my lesbians? I don’t know how it happened. I faithfully bashed gays for four decades and they fell in love with me and they made me an icon!”
“And I love the gays back because the gays have taught us love is love. But,” Smock added more seriously, “lust is lust.”
“I love the lesbians, but not in a lesbian way”
During the same appearance, Smock went on to state “I love the lesbians, but not in a lesbian way” – notably pronouncing it like “lez-beans” – and discussed talking to a young woman who described themselves as a virgin but said they had lesbian sex and did not believe it was sex: “That is what I call prejudice against lesbian sex! And I had to inform her that lesbian sex is sex too! And lesbians need to ho no mo too.”
In the comments, TikTok users jokingly labelled her an “inclusive queen” and “equality queen” for her recognising sex between women is as valid as any other type of sex.
In the comments of other videos, however, different have more seriously labelled Smock’s acknowledgement of her tongue-in-cheek gay icon status as a “redemption arc” – but it is certainly far from that.
Only a cursory glance at Smock’s social media accounts let you know that she is no ally to the LGBTQ+ community.
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death, who was shot in the neck whilst speaking at a university in Utah and well-known for his vehemently anti-LGBTQ+ views, Smock shared a post describing him as a “martyr hero”.
“We wept when we learned Charlie had indeed passed. In the middle of my testimony, I exhorted students to follow Jesus. I asked them to raise both hands if they had counted the cost and were willing to forsake all sin and fully surrender to Him. Many raised their hands, and several came up later to tell me they were serious about seeking the Lord,” she wrote of preaching on a campus the same day that Kirk was shot.
“It was a sad day, and a glorious day. One murderer cannot stop the work of God. Many in Generation Z are truly seeking Him. We must pray and do all we can to help them forsake the world and follow Jesus. God is moving, and many young men will rise up as a result of Charlie Kirk’s martyrdom.”
In a follow-up video, Smock declared she and her Ho No Mo movement “stand on the record that no one should be hated or threatened with violence because of their identity whether they identify as trans, gay conservative, Republican, Christian anything”.
“The Lord Jesus died for all people. He rose again for all people. Sister Cindy loves everyone,” she continued, adding that just because we “disagree with someone’s actions” it “does not mean we hate those individuals”.
In essence, Smock’s message is the age old “hate the sin, love the sinner” narrative many queerphobic Christians utilise to attempt to appear less anti-LGBTQ+ than they really are.
