A group of homosexual activists are staging an offensive, state-sponsored theatre performance in Glasgow, Scotland.
The organisers of the Glasgay! arts festival are staging a 7-day play this week that depicts Jesus Christ as a transsexual. The play, Jesus Queen of Heaven, which was written by transsexual playwright Jo Clifford, portrays Jesus as a man who wants to become a woman.
The performance, which also turned the Good Samaritan into a disco queen tottering home on her heels and the Prodigal Son into a Prodigal Daughter, prompted more than 300 protesters to demonstrate outside the theatre in a candlelit protest. The protesters were singing hymns and waving placards saying, ‘Jesus, King of Kings, Not Queen of Heaven’, and ‘God: My Son Is Not A Pervert.’
Pastor Jack Bell, of the Zion Baptist Church in Glasgow, who took part in the protest, said:
‘We didn't threaten anyone going into the play or any of the cast members. It was a peaceful protest with hymns and placards. You can’t blaspheme God and use freedom of speech as an excuse for that.
‘True biblical Christianity is becoming marginalised through political correctness. If this play had treated the prophet Mohammed in the same way there would have been a strong reaction from the Islamic community, but that just wouldn’t happen.’
Damian Thompson, a journalist and Blogs Editor of the Daily Telegraph Media Group, wrote in the Telegraph blog:
‘As soon as I read about [the play], I thought: ‘I bet some public money has gone into that’. But even I was taken aback when I visited the festival website’.
Mr Thompson posted the logos of the thirteen organisations, including Glasgow City Council, which have lavishly sponsored the play. He then went on to describe the way the BBC has written about the event from the perspective of the Glasgay! organisers, without any mention of the Christians offended by the portrayal of Jesus Christ.
(See the Telegraph blog report)
Jo Clifford, author of the script, said:
‘I really have no wish to offend anybody, which means that it is a big shame that everyone has taken great offence. That was genuinely not my intention.’
Steven Thomson, a Glasgay! producer said:
‘Glasgay! supports the right to freedom of expression and offers audiences a diverse view of LGBT life. This work is not intended to incite or offend anyone of any belief system, however, we respect your right to disagree with that opinion. We welcome genuinely interested audience members who wish to understand the artistic intention behind this work.’
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A recent episode of South Park, an American animated sitcom, has angered homosexual activists for using the word 'fag'. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), said that although South Park was apparently trying to 'delegitmise' the word, its use might not be understood by all viewers who would feel offended.
In the episode, the boys begin calling riders of Harley Davidson motorbikes 'fags' because they are 'annoying and inconsiderate'. At first, local homosexuals are angry but then join the rebranding effort after concluding that the word will never go away because 'it's simply too much fun to say'.
However, GLAAD did not accept the joke, saying that use of the word would have consequences for homosexual people taking offence.
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