• Marriage isn’t enough

    I’ve been asked recently by a lot of people whether I’m pleased that the new legislation has gone through allowing same-sex couples to get married. I am pleased, of course. I helped to work for it and I’m delighted to see happy smiling faces of couples I know who are now as hitched as anyone else.

    However, to ask whether I am satisfied would get a different answer.

    You see, I face direct and threatening discrimination at work if I marry. Couples who want to marry in churches like mine can’t do so. And in any case, it isn’t just about marriage anyway.

    You see, marriage isn’t enough.

    We want to be able to hold hands too.

    Can you imagine being allowed to be able to go to the registrar to arrange your own marriage but be frightened to hold hands walking through George Square on your way to do so? Some people reading this will say yes to that question – most won’t even have thought of it.

    Panti Bliss, the Irish drag queen is currently continuing the great tradition of drag queens telling the truth about discrimination.

    Here she is, and if you’ve never worried about holding someone’s hand, do take a look.

7 responses to “Come out and carry on”

  1. Emlyn Williams Avatar
    Emlyn Williams

    Couldn’t you find a nice mitre to replace the crown? 😉

    1. Kelvin Avatar

      Oh, I didn’t make it.

      And in any case, with the C of E, it is all about the Crown.

      1. Susan Sheppard Hedges Avatar

        Can we share it even over here in the US?

        1. Alan McManus Avatar

          Yes! With an explanatory, ‘The Kingdom of God Needs You (To Come Out)!’ I’m celebrating today by putting my publications on my website, thus nailing my rainbow colours to the mast. Once I’ve had my tea. Living in Glasgow, I won’t have had it.

    2. Fr Steve Avatar

      Sounds like a movie of the 1960’s starring the wonderful (and yet sad) Kenneth Williams!

  2. Dharma Nicodemus Cuthbert Avatar
    Dharma Nicodemus Cuthbert

    Just another day to be forgotten about, by the majority of straight people. Like the 1st of December, I half jokingly asked my rector which colour I should dye my hair on the 1st, pink or purple he immediately said purple. I asked why then he reminded that it was Advent, I had to explain why I had thought of pink. He didn’t know that the 1st of Dec was the world’s hiv/aids day, we both were seeing the day from completely different angels.
    I was surprised that the day wasn’t known to him, he’s not that old.. Anyway way I could experiment and see what happens.

    1. Alan McManus Avatar

      What a lovely thought, that there are different angels dedicated to the celebration of Advent and to the care of people in various states of sickness and health! A felicitous typo.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous Posts

  • Can you help me find a Vice-Provost?

    I’m currently looking for someone to come and work at St Mary’s as Vice-Provost. There is an advert in the Church Times today for the second week advertising the post. The vacancy was circulated around the Scottish Episcopal Church a couple of week’s ago. The cathedral website has full details of the post. So, we’ve…

  • C of E Border Crossing

    Must admit I’m still grumpety about the C of E negotiating with the C of S without so much as a by your leave towards the Scottish Episcopal Church. I know that promises have been given that we will have tripartite conversations on things in the future, but that still does not excuse this border-crossing…

  • tae see oorsels as ithers see us

    Read Ruth Wishart’s piece in the Herald and then have a think about how the churches common capitulation to the narrowest of narrow minds regarding both gender and sexuality affects the greater mission of the whole.

  • Englandwatch

    Sometimes it is almost too painful watching the Church of England. Currently the blogsphere and twitterscope are full of reports of the decisions which are supposed to go on behind closed doors with regard to the nomination of the Bishop of Southwark. The short version is that Jeffrey John was apparently on the list. His…