Peter Tatchell

To Liverpool Parish Church (aka St Nick’s) this evening to see the legendary LGBT+ and human rights activist Peter Tatchell speaking from the pulpit about Christianity’s record on LGBT+ rights. The event had been organised by the parish, in partnership with Open Table and Edge Hill University’s GenSex research group.

He started by noting how delighted he was to be speaking in a church “by invitation” for a change. Later on he was very entertaining as he related the tale of the OutRage protest at Canterbury Cathedral on Easter Sunday 1998 when he and his fellow activists disrupted George Carey’s sermon to protest about the Archbishop’s stance on gay marriage. Just one of hundreds of occasions on which he’s been arrested but, interestingly, the only one for which he actually has a criminal record. You can see a brief bit of footage of his ‘alternative Easter sermon’ here https://youtube.com/watch?v=fPMddWG3nyk

Today, his story earned applause from everyone in attendance, including all the clerics!

His talk also covered colonialism, safeguarding of children in the Anglican Church, no platforming/freedom of speech, his defence of anti-LGBT Christians’ right to free speech (but not incitement to hate crimes), his Christian mother’s belief that homosexuality is a sin - but so is homophobia, the treatment of LGBT+ refugees and much more besides.

He really is an excellent speaker.

I think this picture makes a good companion piece to one I took of Peter back in May www.blipfoto.com/entry/2575663664363209916

I’ve added an Extra too.

Today’s tune is ‘A Little Respect’ by Erasure https://youtube.com/watch?v=x34icYC8zA0

“What religion or reason could drive a man to forsake his lover?”