in the orthodox parish we attend covering is strongly encouraged (and there’s a box of shawls for anyone unware) we still get a few who don’t.
i see absolutely no reason for this. my wife (who’s from Russia) thought it was insignifigant when she first came here but after reading the scripture concured there’s not really any way to read it differently. she’s a pretty staunch advocate now.
I’m glad I’m not Orthodox.
When I was a girl, I had to cover my head in church and it felt demeaning. It made it seem as though there was something shameful about women that mandated our covering our heads. If other women want to cover their heads in church, that’s fine. But I’ll never wear a hat or veil in church again.