
LGB Christians’ first Christmas party was a highly successful and enjoyable evening held in December 2024 at St Luke’s Church, Battersea.
Supporters from Hungerford, Glasgow, Cambridge, and Brighton joined those from London.
The priest of the church and LGB Christians columnist Rev Lorenzo Fernandez-Smal’s warm hospitality and versatile culinary skills in the kitchen crafted an absolute all-round treat. Who had ever seen a paella of that size and quality before. He also made a large scrumptious cake for the 30 of us.
We are profoundly fortunate to have his goodwill, as well as the use of the splendid hall and church as we wish.
Special thanks are also due to Matt, for laying out the hall and managing the bar (as well as much other constant vital back-office work), to Alison and Augur for prayers, and to Ivan for security duties.
Our Columnists
Present also were four key website contributors whose articles since October 2023 were among those who have made such a stimulating impression, and who have helped gain much respect for the site.
- Lorenzo Lorenzo-Smal Same-sex attracted Christians are now caught between two competing orthodoxies
- Mike Starkey Humpty Dumpty sat on a Stonewall: Reflections on Inclusive Christianity
- Rachel Evans A Scandal for Schools
- Benjamin Morse Paradise Calling: Inclusive Church and the Masquerade of Good Intentions
Lesbian, gay and bisexuals from all over the country assembled for one night and spoke freely of their faith and of their position as Christian LGB people in an era where to omit the T (or TQIA+) is seen as a modern heresy.
Frankie Last
We invited Frankie Last, a journalist, to mingle discreetly with us so she could soak up the atmosphere and understand what motivates our work and what type of people are attracted to become supporters. Thank you to everyone who talked to her and gave interviews.
‘Lesbian, gay and bisexuals from all over the country’, writes Frankie ‘assembled for one night and spoke freely of their faith and of their position as Christian LGB people in an era where to omit the T (or TQIA+) is seen as a modern heresy. For many gay people religion has been a sore point, many have faced persecution because of their sexuality and in many parts of the world are still in active danger, making the position of trans activism all the more confusing.’
“Its like they can’t see that they’re the homophobes now!” said one man, who after seeing friends picketing an event he was attending was struck by the cognitive dissonance needed to justify picketing an exclusively LGB event.’
Threats
We tried not to let a potential threat spoil the party, although it did mean we needed to take some extra security precautions. We’re glad we succeeded. Five days beforehand the group that disrupted the LGB Alliance conference in October, by throwing several thousand live crickets into the auditorium of 700, visited our venue. They ‘cased the joint’, removed our flyers in the church and left their own instead. The vicar, Lorenzo, reported this to the police as a hate incident.
We’re encouraged by our first three meetings in person and will endeavour to hold other ones.