See gay Christian art on video

Controversial GLBT Christian photos from Sweden can now be seen online as a video slideshow. Swedish photographer Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin has just put the images on YouTube as a slide show with Bible quotes in English -- the same way that it was shown at Sweden’s National Cathedral in Uppsala. That’s the show that made the Pope so angry that he canceled a visit to Sweden. It’s never been possible to see the gay Christian series this well online. The video is a huge improvement over previous versions on the Web. Ohlson Wallin’s photographs recreate scenes from Christ’s life in a contemporary lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) context. She calls it “Ecce Homo,” a pun meaning both “Behold the man” and “Behold the gay.” The award-winning photos sparked violence and death threats when they toured Europe. Ohlson Wallin tells the full story behind “Ecce Homo” in my book Art That Dares: Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, and More. She describes her creative process and the violent reaction against her art. The book is packed with color images by 11 contemporary artists from the US and Europe. The attacks on Ohlson Wallin’s art is an example of why queer Christian images are needed. Jesus taught love, but now Christian rhetoric is being used to justify hate and discrimination LGBT people.