 It was a pleasure recently to share with others in the Sydney Mardi Gras 2025 version of ABC's God Forbid program - see/listen here
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 My keynote address to the Future Church Conference 2025 in Sydney focused on the invitation to expansive life and faith, through the joyful reception of the gifts of gender diversity in the face of the rising anti-gender 'confessional' movement and its desire for patriarchal, 're-colonising' repression across the world. See further here.
It has been wonderful to have distinguished trans playwright and performer Jo Clifford in Sydney with us this month. Among other things, Jo performed as Jesus, Queen of Heaven in St Stephen's Uniting Church, Macquarie Street in Sydney, and also joined us for worship and speaking at Pitt Street Uniting Church. Jo also visited Melbourne on this trip, including with a new play. We hope to see her again in Australia before long.
‘The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven is a unique, emotive, one-woman show that “leaves everyone feeling blessed” as it seeks to end trans discrimination. Jesus has returned to earth as a trans woman and this is your chance to come and meet her – even if you don’t normally go to church. The show is written and performed by Jo, one of Scotland’s most renowned playwrights with over 100 plays to her name, Stonewall role model and recently elected an Elder of the United Reformed Church.  Giving thanks today both for the Trans & Gender Diverse (TGD) Affirming resolution yesterday at the triennial gathering of the Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia, and, perhaps as or more important, for the overall spirit of discussion. This represents the first specific positive national affirmation of TGD folks in a mainstream Church in Australia and marks a step in the ever more necessary conversations and relationships between TGD & other queer people and communities of faith, not least those of diverse cultural backgrounds.
See official Uniting Church Assembly report here... It was a delight to share again in queer faith celebrations as part of Sydney Mardi Gras this year, including with Rainbow Christians Together on the Mardi Gras Parade.
 Firstly I acknowledge the Wurundjeri people as the traditional owners of this place, their elders past and present, and all First Nations peoples here today. I also particularly give thanks for this gathering to Garry Deverell, who, like my fellow speakers, so ‘gets’ where trans people are coming from and the urgent need for stronger intersectionality for love and justice.
The great Black feminist lesbian writer and activist Audre Lorde, put it well: ‘there is no such thing as a single-issue struggle, because we do not live single-issue lives.’[1] Therefore, ‘we share a common interest… you do not have to be me in order for us to fight alongside one another. I do not have to be you to recognise that our wars are the same. What we must do is commit ourselves to some future that can include each other and to work toward that future with the particular strengths of our individual identities.’ In the run up to Sydney WorldPride, SBS On Demand 'The Feed' were kind enough to produce a short feature on my wife Penny Jones and I,, which we hope may help and encourage others.
Many thanks to Dr Meredith Lake and Rohan Salmond for inviting Penny Jones and I to share in this episode of ABC's Soul Search, exploring queer theology and its expression in World Pride. It was a great joy, including sharing with such delightful co-interlocutors and friends as Dr Peter Kline and Benjamin Oh. Link here   At the Actors Centre today in Sydney for the Australian Directors Guild awards, with the wonderful Rachel Lane, celebrating her awards nomination for our short Equal Voices trans faith documentary with Rhett Pearson - ‘Faithfully Me’.
Wonderful to have Sorèl Coward, my dear friend and fellow Anglican priest, sharing some of her story as a keynote contribution to this year’s Sydney Mardi Gras - another beautiful expression of the rich diversity, generosity and developing life of our fabulous Australian queer community. |
AuthorThe Revd Dr Jo Inkpin: Archives
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