BOSTON: Hat Sister John Michael Gray Dies

Provincetown legend John Michael Gray, one-half of the eternally famed Hat Sisters, has died of cancer. I first learned of the Hat Sisters back in the 80s from their regular appearances in the comic strip The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life Of Ethan Green and was completely starstruck when I finally met them in person at Provincetown’s Boatslip in 1994. Since then, no trip to P-Town was ever complete until the Hat Sisters appeared, always to loud acclaim from everyone in the room.

A GoFundMe site has been set up to help Gray’s husband and Hat Sisters partner defray medical expenses. From the page:

In time of great social turbulence, profound illness, isolation and heartbreak in the gay community, John Michael Gray and Tim O’Connor created an extrodinary and heroic presence, by creating flamboyant works of fascinator haberdashery. The Hat Sisters joyously and generously entertained people from all walks of life with their unique and artisic fashion statement. They did not walk away from controversy. They walked towards acceptance, breaking down barriers of prejudice wherever they went. Just as they walked for us then, we will walk for them now.

I took the two photos below in 2013 and 2014.ethan-green-hat-sisters-lgbt-comicshatsisters3