Homophobic Bigots Fail To Stop Sydney Church’s Pride Celebrations
Image: Uniting Church members marches in the 2023 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras under the banner Rainbow Christians Together. Image: Uniting Church
Homophobic bigots who tried to bully an inclusive church in Sydney, failed in stopping its members from marching in the gay and lesbian Mardi Gras parade and celebrating WorldPride.
Last week, homophobic vandals damaged the rainbow stairs painted by parishioners of Pitt Street Uniting Church in Sydney, by throwing grey paint over it, ahead of Mardi Gras.
Hours later volunteers had repainted the stairs in rainbow colours and its members participated in the Mardi Gras parade on February 25, 2023. A second incident occurred on February 28, with the rainbow steps being vandalised again.
An NSW police spokesperson told Star Observer in a statement that officers from the Sydney City Police Area Command had commenced investigations into the two incidents.
Hate Is Never Acceptable
The Uniting Church said that its members joined thousands of others and marched in the Mardi Gras parade on February 25, just hours after the homophobes vandalised the church’s rainbow stairs. The group marched under the banner Rainbow Christians Together.
‘Hate is never acceptable,” Uniting Church President Rev Sharon Hollis said in a statement and condemned those who vandalised church property.
“A place of worship is a sacred space where all people should feel welcome and safe. I stand against these acts of vandalism and verbal attacks on Church members. We send our prayers and solidarity to Pitt Street Uniting Church in Sydney and to all LGBTIQA+ people of faith and their allies,” Hollis said.
Marching In The Mardi Gras Parade
According to Rev Radhika Sukumar-White, Minister and Team leader at Leichhardt Uniting Church, who joined the Mardi Gras parade, for many members it was the first time they were marching as an out LGBTQI person.
“It was a sacred, joyful, evangelical experience for us all, and was particularly special for us to join forces with Christians of other denominations this year. Spectators expressed such gratitude at seeing us – it’s a beautiful thing,” said Sukumar-White.
Out trans Pitt Street Church’s Minister, Rev Dr Josephine Inkpin said that the Rainbow Christians Together float “was a demonstration by queer Christians that God welcomed all of God’s people, expressing hope and justice for LGBTIQA+ people.”
Vandals Damage Rainbow Steps
Dr Inkpin said that the vandalisation of the steps was a “graphic reminder that all of us in the Uniting Church need to step up our efforts to stand in solidarity with LGBTIQA+ communities. If we don’t, who will?”
Charlie Bakhos, who runs the Facebook page Christian Lives Matter posted video footage posted to social media on February 24 that showed parishioners painting the steps outside the church in rainbow colours being harassed.
The aggressive man behind the camera pesters a Christian woman parishioner and condemns her to “damnation” and “hell”. A second video shows unidentified men damaging the rainbow stairs. “F**k the LGBT,” one of the men is heard saying on the camera.
