What is in Kelvin's Head?

World AIDS Day 2014

01/12/2014

Here’s the final video in the series of conversations that I’ve been having with Marion Chatterley the Chaplain at Waverley Care.

World AIDS Day video 2014 from Kelvin Holdsworth on Vimeo.

In this video, the tables are turned and Marion gets to ask me the questions.

She starts by asking me why churches don’t seem interested in HIV AIDS issues during most of the year. We talk about people in pews and pulpits who are themselves living with HIV.

We talk about why there’s stigma around HIV and return to the connection between what the churches and their leaders have been saying about marriage and keeping people safe from HIV.

I remind Marion that there’s only a few hundred yards of Scottish streets where gay people might feel comfortable holding hands and talk about why relationships are still frightening and still being hidden because churches are not challenging discrimination and are indeed promoting it by their language around sexuality.

We talk about the phrase “Well, it isn’t living up to God’s ideal” and the way that my denomination is failing me as a priest.

We talk about early HIV prevention campaigns and what the churches might be saying now. We also talk about the churches’ obsession with acts and bodies and how I think that while current policies from church leaders focussing entirely on the sexual element of relationships remain then the devil will go on winning.

We return to the theme of healthy relationships that has come up in each of the videos, including negotiation in relationships and how to find someone you can stay safe with.

The other conversations can be seen below.
(more…)

AIDS, HIV, Marion Chatterley, World AIDS Day 2014

20 responses to “Lambeth Conference – Some are Welcome in this Place”

asphodeline

23/05/2007

Aargh, horrible decision. My first “gut” reaction was no, make a point of not going and make it clear why not. Then I read the responses here and they’ve got a point too.

I hope you make the right decision for yourself that you feel comfortable with. Interesting point too about the Catholic bit. I don’t consider myself Protestant as such, more a Catholic who is exlcuded from many things Catholic by the Catholic church. I’ve always been a bit confused though!

Good luck x

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kelvin

23/05/2007

I’m interested that all voices responding so far are female.

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chris

24/05/2007

Does the excess of female voices not simply represent the majority of congregations? Not, of course, of clergy – yet. :=(

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kelvin

24/05/2007

I’ve no idea what other congregations are like – St Mary’s is pretty gender balanced, as was my previous congregation.

Are there really congregations that are mostly female? How very odd.

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Elizabeth

24/05/2007

A convent maybe? Do you have convents in the SEC?

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kelvin

24/05/2007

There are convents, but not terribly large ones.

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Eamonn

24/05/2007

Not only are all the comments so far from women (so let me make a modest effort to redress the balance), but there are far fewer voices than one might have expected, given the seriousness of this exclusion, which in the long run could affect all Episcopalians and Anglicans worldwide. The notion that one has to ‘qualify’ to attend Lambeth by criteria other than lawful episcopal consecration is a new and disquieting departure. Why are more people not protesting?

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vicky

24/05/2007

Thought this might be of interest.

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chris

25/05/2007

I’ve only ever belonged to my current congretation. There are men, but old, unwired ones for the most part.
I’ve had another thought, though. Maybe women comment because women have been sidelined in the church for 2000 years. Coming out in sympathy, perhaps?

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kelvin

25/05/2007

“unwired men” – what a helpful description.

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