Monday, November 16, 2015
To all those who hate Queen Jesus
A LETTER TO THOSE WHO CAME TO PROTEST AGAINST “THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JESUS QUEEN OF HEAVEN” BEING SHOWN IN THE OUTBURST QUEER ARTS FESTIVAL, BELFAST, ON 15 NOVEMBER 2015.
AND A LETTER TO FUNDAMENTALISTS EVERYWHERE…
My dears
The first thing is to say thank you. Thank you for taking an interest in my play.
One of the major ways our society suppresses dissident artists is by ignoring us. By acting as if we didn’t exist.
I know from bitter experience how hurtful this is. So your action in coming together to register your disgust and try to drown out the sound of my words tells me that maybe I am succeeding in saying something worthwhile.
So thank you.
I know that when I heard there was a chance you were coming to the venue I felt deeply frightened and upset. Just as I’m aware, as I write these words to you now, of the fearful pounding of my heart.
This comes from way in the past when I was still forced to live as a boy.
It was through acting that I first became able to make sense of the deep feelings of alienation and strangeness that had always afflicted me; and understood, inescapably, that I was not a boy and would be so much happier if I could live as a girl.
I was so afraid of this, and so ashamed of it. I knew if I kept on playing girls’ parts everyone would come to know this, and hate me for it.
And then I could no longer act.
That part of my creativity was blocked for forty years.
It’s important you hear this.
Jesus foresaw that many people would come after him to speak in his name. He knew it would be confusing. He advised us to take note of the results of people’s preaching. He said “By their fruits shall you know them”.
The fruits of your preaching are a stunting of human growth and the deepest unhappiness.
Please think about this.
I know your intentions are of the best. You stand for things. It’s admirable. Your banners spoke of “TRADITION. FAMILY. PROPERTY”.
And: “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. NO MORE BLASPHEMY”.
I wish I could have told you that I care about blasphemy too. It’s strange how much we have in common: we all go to church, we all try to live Christian lives. And we all care about Christianity.
I so want Christianity to stop being an instrument of repression and hatred; and become, instead, a source of love and human liberation.
Jesus tells us to love one another, and I found so much love in the venue. In the very beautiful generosity and warmth and understanding of the audience who came to see my work. In the amazing women from the Outburst Arts Festival who made it happen. In my beautiful colleagues and companions. In the people setting up the venue, and the front of house volunteers. In the courageous and gentle security guards who made me feel so safe.
Love is a difficult word. It stands for so many things. Part of it is people working with care and creativity and consideration. Just doing their jobs.
It made me so happy to be with them.
And you, poor loves, you all looked so miserable.
A transwoman in the audience told me how she’d been brought up Catholic, and it made her so unhappy; and how she then became an evangelical Christian to try to escape her unhappiness. And was standing outside Belfast City Hall demonstrating against LGBT rights when she caught the eye of a gay man demonstrating in favour of them.
That moment of simple human contact completely changed her life. She began the long journey towards self acceptance and love.
Hearing her beautiful voice made me so glad I’d stood on the street for a moment to look at you and try to catch your eyes.
Many of you recognised me and started to take my photograph. I hope now you’ve taken me home with you I am more than an object of hatred.
We tend to hate in others what we hate in ourselves. I think that’s why Jesus tells us to love our neighbour as ourselves.
And I’ve a funny feeling that the loudhailer and the bagpipes that you brought along to try to make it difficult for my words to be heard were also there to try to silence of the voice of your own hearts.
It makes me sad that you’re so full of self loathing and unhappiness.
Please believe me when I tell you that I wish you well.
JO CLIFFORD
Labels: fundamentalism, love, spirituality, transgender
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Conchita and Christ Androgyne and Jesus Queen of Heaven
The tragedies in classic Greek theatre were all created in competition with each other, and I sometimes wonder what would happen if Scottish theatre adapted a similar scheme. Say the current Edinburgh Lyceum production of “Pressure” was competing with the current Glasgow Citz production of “The Libertine” for a top place in the municipal theatres league...
Perhaps it really would add a certain excitement and urgency and edge to the whole theatrical process.
But then I look at Eurovision and suspect it maybe wouldn’t so good at raising artistic standards....
I missed Austria’s entry, the only one I really wanted to see, and didn’t stay up for the results. And was so happy this morning to see that Conchita Wurst won.
And then this morning someone sent me an image of Christ Androgyne, who may or may not also be the Conchita who won, and I would show it you here if I was better at working with images, and the coincidence struck me because I am so engaged in the forthcoming revival of GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JESUS QUEEN OF HEAVEN, working on the press release in fact...
...and remembering at the same time the young bearded queer person I saw in full make-up gathering all their courage to walk down Brick Lane.
That was last week when i was staying in a hotel nearby, and a bit nervous about it, I guess because it made me think of all the times people used to laugh at me and pass remarks at me and shout abuse at me when I walked down the street. And how frightening and distressing it all was.
And the inspiring thing about that young queer and Conchita is that they boith have the courage to display their male femininity and defy that kind of ridicule.
As for Christ Androgyne, I was just on my way to church, as it happened, and wearing a nice dress. Just like my mum used to, I realised... I was a little late, and the church was full, and at first I couldn’t see an empty seat.
Which pleased me, because my church (Augustine United http://www.augustine.org.uk/) is a beautiful vibrant inclusive congregation and I love being part of it.
The service was beautiful, inspired by an engaged spirituality that is about creating a better world.
And it left me thinking of how, in spite of everything, we somehow still need a spirituality that is open both to the masculine and the feminine, and that is about lived loving experience of the world.
And that, as I try to do in my JESUS QUEEN OF HEAVEN, it matters to create theatre that reflects and expresses and celebrates that liberating sense of sacredness. And that encouraged me in this mad enterprise.
And then, as Jesus Queen of Heaven, I wanted to
Bless the brave young queer walking proudly down Brick Lane
For their courage inspires courage in others
and
Bless Conchita, the beautiful singer, for their song brings so many hope
And in spite of mockery and oppression
Like the phoenix we will rise....
Labels: eurovision, spirituality, trans liberation
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