A play portraying Jesus as a transsexual is set to run in a Glasgow Theatre – funded by the same public body behind an exhibition inviting the public to deface the Bible.
Should Christians care?
Listen to The Christian Institute’s Simon Calvert debate the issue on Premier Christian Radio.
Critics say the play, entitled ‘Jesus, Queen of Heaven’, is further proof of an agenda to use taxpayers’ money to fund assaults on Christian values.
The production is due to run in November at Glasgow’s Tron Theatre as part of Glasgay, an annual publicly-funded gay arts festival.
Supported by Culture and Sport Glasgow (CSG), a quango set up by the City Council, the festival has already provoked worldwide outrage at an exhibition which encouraged the public to graffiti a Bible.
Many obscene and offensive messages were scrawled before public outcry resulted in the Bible’s enclosure in a secure transparent case.
Publicity material for the Jesus, Queen of Heaven play shows the writer and lead performer – transsexual actor Jo (formerly John) Clifford – posing as Christ with crucifixion wounds and a halo.
The theatre advert reads: “Jesus is a transsexual woman. And it is now she walks the earth.
“This is a play with music that presents her sayings, her miracles, and her testimony.”
CSG has confirmed it is part-funding the production but the sums involved have not been revealed.
The Christian Institute’s Simon Calvert said: “If Glasgow’s council taxpayers were consulted, I doubt they would consider this was a good use of their money.
“What with this and the Bible defacing exhibit, you have to wonder what is the next outrage Glasgow City Council has planned.”
Gordon Macdonald of Christian group CARE for Scotland said: “Organisers of these events are trying to placate the gay rights lobby while riding roughshod over everyone else – at public expense.”
A spokesman for the Roman Catholic Church said: “Coming in the wake of the outrageous Bible exhibition, which encouraged the defacing of the Bible in the name of gay rights, the funding of another production with the provocative title Jesus, Queen of Heaven will leave most citizens of Glasgow aghast.
“Serious questions must now be raised about the agenda being pursued by CSG.”