MY NEW HERO
Michael Neri
“I find that theatre without gays is like cooking without spices.”…. That’s only one brilliant line from a text that Michael Neri, a theater teacher from Birmingham, England, sent back to a homophobic parent who told him that she would be pulling her kids from his class because he’s gay. She told him that her family’s beliefs didn’t agree with his “lifestyle,” and he gave her all the reasons why that’s a ridiculous thing to say. Neri tweeted their exchange, and it caught fire online.
I never cease to marvel at “Christians” who believe that using their faith as an excuse to discriminate against those live and/or love differently. The “As a Christian, I cannot condone or accept your lifestyle” argument is as offensive as it is arrogant and self-righteous. There’s certainly no requirement that a Christian approve of how someone else chooses to live their live and love. If you claim to believe in a benevolent, compassionate Jesus Christ- you know, the same one who preached love, tolerance, acceptance, and inclusion- YER DOON IT RONG!
It fascinates me how so many Christians cab adopt an Old Testament mindset when it serves their purposes and ignore the dictates of an angry, vindictive God when it doesn’t. If you believe homosexuality to be an abomination and you’re wearing clothes of mixed fibers- yeah, you’re doing it wrong. You’re a hypocrite and as authentically Christian as I am an NBA point guard.
If homosexuality disgusts you and you believe that gays live to recruit your children and teach them to love glitter and show tunes, how about at least having the courage to own up to your bigotry? Hiding behind your overheated and bastardized religiosity only reveals that you’re a Christian in the same way Timothy McVeigh was a spiritual warrior.
Kudos to Michael Neri for his brilliant (and kind) smackdown of the parent, who hardly deserves to retain her anonymity. “As a Christian I cannot allow my children to be influenced by unconventional ideas” is a stunning indictment of your “faith” and hypocrisy. Then again, we’re not talking about Parent of the Year material here, are we?
The good news about this story is that it’s rallied millions around the idea that we’re not gay people, straight people, transgender people…or any other artificial modifier. We’re people. It’s just too bad this good, God-fearing Christian woman has managed to completely ignore the Gospel of Jesus Christs, eh?
Hatred isn’t a Christian value.
