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Loading ...Amsterdam gay Christmas features same-sex Nativity
12.08.2008 1:53pm EST
(Amsterdam, Netherlands) A Dutch gay group said Monday it has planned a “Pink Christmas” festival for the first time in Amsterdam, featuring a manger stall with two Josephs and two Marys.
Other attractions in the 10-day festival include parties, an open-air market, gay-themed films, an ice skating rink and religious services on Dec. 25.ProGay group chairman Frank van Dalen said Monday the event is intended to increase the choices for homosexual men and women during the Christmas holiday week.
“Right now, there’s not much to do,” he said.
The festival will also encourage people to think about homosexuality and religion, Van Dalen added.
Some Christian groups protested. The organization Christians for Truth said the idea “mocks the core concepts of Evangelism.”
“By putting Joseph and Mary down as homosexuals, a cracked human fantasy is being tacked on to history from the Bible,” the organization said in a statement urging the city and organizers to cancel the event.
The manger, with actors playing the parts of Joseph and Mary, goes on display Dec. 21.
Van Dalen said it was not intended to be offensive, but was meant as a “wink” at heterosexual assumptions.
“Christmas is about more than religion, it’s also about love and families, not to mention shopping,” he said. “Two men or two women can form a family too these days, even one with a child.”
Gay marriage was legalized in the Netherlands in 2001, and adoption rules are the same here for gay or straight couples.
Van Dalen said the Pink Christmas initiative was also intended to help promote Amsterdam as a gay capital after a decline in its reputation in recent years.
A study last month found that homophobia is an ingrained problem in the city despite the Dutch reputation for tolerance, and physical attacks on gay men are a weekly affair.
So what? Do a lot of people believing in something that’s false for no good reason make it true or somehow worth considering? No. Why is it too bad that I don’t “show them respect” for a failure of critical reasoning? Because that’s tradition? One doesn’t have to think to have faith–in fact, it’s largely discouraged. Do you respect people who believe in pasta monster, boogie man, the devil, or that the world’s going to end sometime soon, that god told them to discriminate,kill, rape, etc. etc., or that the CIA has implanted them with tracking devices? At least that last one’s falsifiable.
You gays are disgusting and immoral, and by the ways lesbians are the same. Irresponible people! NO rights for you whatsoever!
Ah, now that’s a cool idea to represent different families and Jesus’s love for all mankind. Protect all the families and show them some love! It would of be even sweeter if heterosexual Mary and Joseph were included with the other parents. That way every kind of family is represented.
Yes it is Tank. It’s unfortunate that you are so disrespectful of those that have faith. Like it or not, still a good majority of gay men and women do profess faith of one kind or another. The dominant religion or faith among gay men and women in the US remains Christianity.
Well, god being who god is, and not one to be mocked and suchlike, no doubt he’ll be afixin’ to lay a mighty smite upon ‘em any time now.
That’ll larn ‘em.
Is it really, trace? You know what offends me? Christians. That anyone can believe that claptrap offends me, and should offend all thinking people. And it’s not just an same sex nativity, either; nay, I’m beset by their bad thinking and stupid opinions non-stop in the u.s., and legislative efforts to undermine the RIGHTS (not privileges) I’m entitled as a taxpaying u.s. citizen. I think this is harmless comparatively, and who cares what a bunch of knuckle dragging irrationalites get offended by? Thinkin’…
Truth be told, I think that it is fairly common to represent the Divine in familiar terms. I am not sure that this is necessarily offensive.
How many Nativity scenes have we seen with decidely European looking Holy Family figures? Is it any less accurate or offensive to display the Holy Family as gay? How many folks have had non-human representations of the Nativity? If people can whimsically accept chickens, dogs or ducks, why is it inherently offensive to accept a gay couple? (Sure, the site that I link to has some wonderfully funny commentary from a very sincere Christian with a great sense of humor, but the Nativity scenes that she is commenting on were mostly made by folks who felt free to play around with all sort of variations. What makes this particular variation so different? Why isn’t the traditional representation of the Nativity with people from a different part of the world considered offensive. No, Joseph and Mary weren’t a gay couple, but they weren’t fair-skinned Europeans either!
You called those actions regarding the Muhammad cartoons protests? Hmm, I actually call them murder, riots, destruction and terrorism.
That being said, I don’t see the need to make fun or light of others faiths or beliefs. It is one thing to satirize politicians and public figures. It is another thing make light of someone’s faith, hero’s and inspiration.
I would not support someone degrading or dishonoring the likes of Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa, Buddha, etc. So yes, people and images that hold a place of honor should be recognized as such.
Just a reminder that some of your readers are old folks, even retired. The poll on calling in “gay” has no place for me to vote. Have you done a poll to determine the age of those who use your excellent site?
Trace, it’s a parody. Do they not have a right to satirical speech? People don’t have a right to not be offended.
I wonder if you were as offended by the Muhammad cartoon that caused massive protests by muslims in Denmark.
Very unfortunate that a group has chosen to do this. This is not only offensive to str8 Christians but to gay Christians. I often wonder how others can exhibit such a complete lack of respect for others and think that it’s perfectly ok.
I wonder if this same group is going to put Mohammad in a dress for Ramadan?
Christ himself if he could be here right now likely would have had a sense of humor about this gay Nativity scene and would have enjoyed it. He would say to the Truthians, “You who persecute my gay flock do not speak for me. Go and cleanse your hearts and minds of your vile and wicked bigotry”.
Whose to say that Mary wasn’t a virgin lesbian?
Christians for Dogma would be a more truthful name. Once again gays are just having fun that puts the narrow minds in a tailspin.
Tom in Long Beach
“Christians for Truth”
That’s one hell of an oxymoron.