Yesterday I was interviewed for a project called ‘Christian Voices Coming Out’ organised by the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) to celebrate the organisation’s 40th anniversary. Sound clips from interviews of several LGBT Christians will form an exhibition which will be launched on 3rd February in London as part of LGBT History Month. On 6th February, I will be speaking at the Two:23 Network gathering in London – Christians connected by LGBT issues. This event is also being linked with LGBT History Month and I will be sharing my own life story. In my head, my talk is called “Old Dyke’s Tales”. I have realised, with some mirth, that I have become what Quentin Crisp would describe as a ‘stately homo’. I have become the keeper and guardian of our past and am asked what I have learned that may be useful for our future.
We live in interesting times. 38 Primates (leaders) of the Anglican Communion from many different countries are currently meeting in Canterbury to see if they can come to a place of common understanding around the issue of homosexuality. Some of these leaders come from countries where the state actively upholds and encourages the persecution of LGBT people. The Dean of Newcastle Cathedral is one of a hundred leading Anglicans calling on the Primates to issue an apology for the way that the Church has treated LGBT people. The film ‘The Danish Girl’ is a story of transition and in the running for an Oscar. The House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee has produced a report today on Transgender Equality, which paints a pretty bleak picture of the current experiences of transgender people in the UK. Us queer folk are all over the news at the moment.
So much has changed for the better – equal marriage, more protection under the law, the right to adopt children and, in many societies and Christian churches, a greater acceptance and understanding about LGBT issues. These changes are remarkable and have happened within my lifetime. We need to use our position of relative privilege to fight for those who still struggle. We need to continue to educate ourselves about the lives of others, to understand what difficulties they face and learn how we might support each other. We worship a God who created all things. It seems a bit mundane for such an awesome God to have created only two genders and only one way of enjoying sex! The queer world is changing rapidly. ‘Pansexual’, ‘gender fluid’ and other terms are realities that I am trying to get my head around, so that I can fully celebrate the lives of those around me. May you be blessed in living out the fullness of who you are this week.
God bless
Cecilia
We live in interesting times. 38 Primates (leaders) of the Anglican Communion from many different countries are currently meeting in Canterbury to see if they can come to a place of common understanding around the issue of homosexuality. Some of these leaders come from countries where the state actively upholds and encourages the persecution of LGBT people. The Dean of Newcastle Cathedral is one of a hundred leading Anglicans calling on the Primates to issue an apology for the way that the Church has treated LGBT people. The film ‘The Danish Girl’ is a story of transition and in the running for an Oscar. The House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee has produced a report today on Transgender Equality, which paints a pretty bleak picture of the current experiences of transgender people in the UK. Us queer folk are all over the news at the moment.
So much has changed for the better – equal marriage, more protection under the law, the right to adopt children and, in many societies and Christian churches, a greater acceptance and understanding about LGBT issues. These changes are remarkable and have happened within my lifetime. We need to use our position of relative privilege to fight for those who still struggle. We need to continue to educate ourselves about the lives of others, to understand what difficulties they face and learn how we might support each other. We worship a God who created all things. It seems a bit mundane for such an awesome God to have created only two genders and only one way of enjoying sex! The queer world is changing rapidly. ‘Pansexual’, ‘gender fluid’ and other terms are realities that I am trying to get my head around, so that I can fully celebrate the lives of those around me. May you be blessed in living out the fullness of who you are this week.
God bless
Cecilia
RSS Feed