Can you imagine? A gay Nativity scene

Gay Nativity scene at Pink Christmas in Amsterdam

I got excited when I first heard that a gay and lesbian Nativity scene was planned for the 2008 “Pink Christmas” festival in Amsterdam. Live actors were supposed to play a pair of Marys and a pair of Josephs.

I let my imagination run free envisioning new variations on the familiar manger scene. Love makes a family -- including the Holy Family. Everyone should be able to see themselves in the Christmas story, including gay and lesbian people.

I postponed writing about the gay and lesbian Nativity until it was staged. Now I’m glad that I waited because the reality fell far short of what I expected.

My heart sank when I saw the photos and video of the gay Nativity with two men (NOT two Josephs). They were a stereotypical drag queen and leather daddy. A male entertainer named “Miss Wendy” Mills posed as Mary in a blonde wig and black, high-heeled boots. I have nothing against transvestites and leather folk, but these guys seemed like a parody of themselves, with no loving “family” connection to each other whatsoever. Apparently there was no lesbian version at all.

Naturally I found out about the gay manger scene from news reports on Christian conservatives trying to stop it. Queer Christians almost never make the news unless somebody is opposing us. Conservative Christians complained that the gay manger scene mocked Christianity, but I feel that it makes a mockery of GLBT life.

Oh, well.

Frank van Dalen, head of the ProGay group that organized the festival, said that the queer Nativity was meant to encourage people to think about homosexuality and religion. It did have that effect on me. I had my own lesbian Christian spiritual awakening while I was waiting for the event.

While waiting for the event, I imagined that the Amsterdam GLBT community would enact Nativity scenes that showed loving lesbian and gay families like those that I have known. Scenes of a lesbian Madonna and her female partner with the baby Jesus have been created by artists such as Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin of Sweden and Becki Jayne Harrelson of Atlanta. But this was the first time that I’ve seen a gay Joseph and his male partner with the Christ child.

Why not? According to the Bible story, Joseph was an adoptive father anyway. The Virgin Mary had Jesus without having sex with a man -- much like lesbian mothers who use artificial insemination.

I had a personal breakthrough as I realized that my mind was still trapped in heterosexual assumptions about the cast of characters at Jesus’ birth. I remembered going to a huge exhibit of Nativity scenes when I was a young lesbian in seminary. They had statues of Mary and Joseph with the Christ child portrayed as every conceivable racial and ethnic identity. Not once did I consider that my own community was missing -- there was no lesbian version with Mary and another woman. Nor was there a gay version with Joseph and another man. Only now, some 20 years later, did it occur to me that LGBT families should be represented in the mix.

Inspired by the Amsterdam example, I suddenly realized how easy it would be to make my own lesbian or gay Nativity scene. All I would have to do was buy two standard Nativity scenes, and switch the figures around. It would be easy to put Mary with Mary and Joseph with Joseph -- like putting two brides or two grooms on top of a wedding cake! My partner and I toyed with the idea of getting two sets of Nativity lawn decorations and turning our yard into a queer Christmas display.

However, rearranging the Holy Family is not as easy as it might seem. In many cases Mary, Joseph and Jesus are wedded together in one inseparable, three-headed blob. What does that say about our attachment to idealized, sanctified heterosexuality?

During the recent after-Christmas sales, I ordered two Nativity sets with freestanding figures. Yes, I’m going to do it. You’ll see my reconfigured lesbian and gay Nativity scenes on this blog next Christmas.

Meanwhile, you may watch Amsterdam’s gay Nativity scene captured live on video.



Update Dec. 22, 2010: Gay and lesbian Nativity scenes are available now as Christmas cards at the Jesus in Love Store.

2008’s top 5 queer-spirit arts stories named

“After the Rainbow Ceremony” by Peter Grahame illustrated the year's top story

Debate about the need for a unique gay spirituality is the top story for 2008, JesusInLove.org announced today. “Gay spirituality vs. everybody spirituality: A new closet?” generated the year’s largest number of comments at the Jesus in Love Blog on queer spirituality and the arts. JesusInLove.org, an online resource center for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) spirituality and the arts, has announced its picks for 2008’s top five stories. Here’s a round-up of the year’s top five queer spiritual art news stories. 1. “Gay spirituality vs. everybody spirituality: A new closet?” was the most popular story of 2008 with 40 comments. A big spirituality weekend finds that many, especially young people, don’t recognize the “unique spiritual gifts” that go with being GLBT. 2. “No on Prop 8 protest for gay marriage” was the most popular video of 2008 with more than 2,000 views. The video shows more than 500 people protesting the ban on same-sex marriage at the “Stop the H8” rally against Proposition 8, in Pasadena, California, on Nov. 15. 3. “Gay Mohammad art censored” generated the longest debate, with passionate comments continuing on both sides for 10 months. Gay Mohammad images by Iranian-born artist Sooreh Hera were censored from a Dutch art exhibit. The artist says that her art is an expose of Islamic hypocrisy on homosexuality. 4. “Lammy Awards: GLBT authors laugh, cry and get awards” received the most links from other websites. The Lambda Literary Awards ceremony is “more than a dream come true” as it carries on the sacred literary tradition of gay and lesbian writers. 5. “New novel shows Passion of a Queer Christ” received the most heartfelt response through emails and comments. “WOW! I'm speechless!” was among the respsonses to a queer Christ’s journey in “Jesus in Love: At the Cross” by Kittredge Cherry. “2008 was an outstanding year for queer spirituality and the arts,” says Kittredge Cherry, lesbian Christian author and founder of JesusInLove.org. “People cared passionately about gay spirituality, same-sex marriage, GLBT literature and making gay-friendly images of the divine -- including gay Jesus and gay Mohammad.” Founded three years ago, JesusInLove.org presents a positive vision of GLBT spirituality and tracks censorship of queer religious art. It has grown from a single website into an online network that includes a blog, videos, e-newsletter and an image archive. It has reached thousands of people all over the world, won many honors -- and gotten a lot of hate mail from conservative Christians “The ongoing religious bigotry proves that Jesus in Love is needed now as much as ever,” Cherry says. “Christian rhetoric is being misused to justify hate and discrimination against GLBT people, but Jesus taught love for all.”

AltXmasArt 12: Madonna, Lover and Son

“Madonna, Lover, and Son” by Becki Jayne Harrelson, 1996. Oil on canvas, 80 x 68 inches. www.beckijayne.com

Two lesbian mothers cuddle the Baby Jesus in “Madonna, Lover and Son” by Becki Jayne Harrelson. Love made this Holy Family. After all, the story of the virgin birth means that Jesus was conceived without the involvement of any man. Most galleries are afraid to exhibit this lesbian Christmas image. AltXmasArt presents it here on Christmas Day as a special gift. Probably the most common religious Christmas image is that icon of the nuclear family: the baby Jesus with mother Mary and father Joseph. Safe, saccharine Nativity scenes enshrine heterosexuality and obscure the shocking point of Christmas: God became human, and in a most disreputable context—born in poverty to an unwed teenage mother. He represents all people, including the outcasts and the sexually marginalized. Harrelson, a lesbian artist based in Atlanta, puts her Holy Family into the same landscape as Da Vinci’s Madonna of the Rocks. In Harrelson’s version, the Madonna has a classic stylized halo while the landscape forms a natural sunlit halo around her blonde lover (based on the woman who has been Harrelson’s partner since 1995). The contrasting halos are Harrelson’s way of saying that lesbians are a natural part of creation, as opposed to the roles of wife and mother imposed by patriarchal religion. A turkey baster is concealed in the bushes, a play on artificial insemination and virgin birth. “I think God has a sense of humor—where I get mine I like to think,” Harrelson laughed. Harrelson is rightly called “the lesbian Leonardo Da Vinci” because her prodigious talent, style and subject matter are reminiscent of the great Renaissance artist. A recurring theme for lesbian artists is Mary with her female lover, sometimes with references to the virgin birth and its and its similarity to artificial insemination. Lesbians can relate to the myth of Mary’s virgin birth because they use artificial insemination to have babies without heterosexual sex. Pro-woman views of the virgin birth go back at least as far as the famous 1851 speech by abolitionist Sojourner Truth who had been born into slavery. “Where did your Christ come from?” Truth asked. “From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.” “Madonna, Lover, and Son” affirms the basic message of Christmas: Love is what makes a family. _______ This painting appears in “Art That Dares: Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, and More” by Kittredge Cherry. The book is filled with color images by 11 contemporary artists. Five artists from AltXmasArt are featured in the book. The artists tell the stories behind their images and a lively introduction puts them into political and historical context, exploring issues of blasphemy and artistic freedom. _______ Thank you for viewing 12 Days of AltXmasArt. It’s our Christmas gift to you, and we hope that it inspired you this holiday season. We close with a quick guide with links to the whole series: “Annunciation” by Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin “La Anunciación (The Annuciation)” by Armando Lopez “Mother of God: Mother of the Streets” by Brother Robert Lentz “Black Madonna - Mitochondrial Eve” by David Hewson “The Holy Family” by Janet McKenzie “San José (Saint Joseph)” by Armando Lopez “Joseph and the Christ Child” by Father John Giuliani “Mary Most Holy Mother of All Nations” by Father William Hart McNichols “Pacha Mama Healing the Earth” by David Hewson “Epiphany” by Janet McKenzie “Radiant Baby” by Keith Haring “Madonna, Lover, and Son” by Becki Jayne Harrelson

AltXmasArt 11: Radiant Baby

“Radiant Baby” (from Icons series) by Keith Haring, 1990. © Estate of Keith Haring Silkscreen, 21 x 25 inches. www.haring.com

“Radiant Baby” strips the Christmas story down to its core: A child is born. It took a gay artist -- Keith Haring -- to get to the pure essence of Christmas. He paints a generic baby. The child is faceless, without any trappings of race, gender or family of origin. The only thing special about this baby is its radiance. Is “Radiant Baby” the Christ child, or every child? Art historian Natalie E. Phillips makes an excellent case that Haring did indeed consider it an image of Christ. In her essay “The Radiant (Christ) Child,” she writes that Haring’s teenage activity in the Jesus Movement during the 1970s left a lasting impact on him and his art. He created many works that transform Christian images to make more ambiguous statements. The “Radiant Baby” began as a “tag” that Haring left in his early days as a graffiti artist and often used as his signature on later artwork. Haring (1958-1990) first attracted international attention in 1981 for his chalk drawings in the New York subways. He drew simple line figures like “Radiant Baby.” In his brief but intense career, he became one of the best known artists of his generation. Haring died of AIDS-related illnesses at age 31. Christianity teaches that all people are created in the image of God. As Christmas approaches, “Radiant Baby” reminds us that every baby is born radiant. Please come back tomorrow for AltXmasArt 12: “Madonna, Lover, and Son” by Becki Jayne Harrelson. ____ For more on Keith Haring, check out the new biography Keith Haring by Jeffrey Deitch.

AltXmasArt 10: Epiphany

“Epiphany” by Janet McKenzie, copyright 2003. Oil on canvas, 42 x 54 inches. www.janetmckenzie.com Collection of Barbara Marian, Harvard, IL

A multi-racial trio of female Magi visit the baby Jesus and his mother in “Epiphany” by Janet McKenzie. Instead of the traditional three kings or three wise men, the artist re-interprets the Magi as wise women from around the world. The unconventional portrayal of the Magi makes good theological sense. Barbara Marian, who commissioned the painting, explains: “The story of the Magi in the Gospel of Matthew allowed the Jewish followers of Jesus to imagine the unthinkable -- God’s grace extending to the outsiders, the gentiles. Who are the outsiders in our world? Can we imagine the favor of God extending beyond the human boundaries of race, class, nationality, ethnicity, religious devotion, and gender?” Marian commissioned “Epiphany” for the Nativity Project, which revisits and revitalizes the Gospel with new images of women. “It’s easy to get so caught up in regal images of Matthew’s night visitors that we miss the core message -- Christ for all people,” Marian says. Conservative Christians raised a big stink over “Epiphany” in 2007 when it appeared on the Christmas cards of the Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Ft. Worth, Texas, sent a notice to clergy and 2007 convention delegates condemning Jefferts Schori for her choice of art. “Happy Multicultural Feminist Celebration Day,” sneered the headline of a traditional Anglican blog where nearly 100 comments are posted condemning the image as “stupid,” “faux-nouveau hipster theology” and worse. McKenzie denies the accusations that she is trying to be divisive and rewrite scripture. “Of course this is as far from my thinking as possible,” she says. “I feel called to create sacred and secular art that includes and celebrates those systematically ignored, relegated and minimized, and for the most part that is women and people of color.” The artist continues to be amazed that her loving images provoke so much anger. “Even this gentle image of a loving Holy Mother and Child, with no agenda accept to include and honor us as the nurturing feminine beings we are, surrounded in community with other women, is still misunderstood -- even at this late date,” she says. McKenzie has weathered even bigger storms before. Her androgynous African American “Jesus of the People” painting caused international controversy when Sister Wendy of PBS chose it to represent Christ in the new millennium. Critics focus on the content of McKenzie’s art, but her outstanding artistic style is one reason that her work attracts attention. The Vermont artist uses drawing and line with oils to build images that glow. Her painting technique and pastel colors are reminiscent of American Impressionist Mary Cassatt, who is famous for painting intimate scenes of mothers and their children. The controversy over McKenzie’s work is a reminder of the power of art, and the continuing need for progressive spiritual images. Opposition seems to fuel her passion to paint. “We all need to find ourselves included within the sacred journey of life, and afterlife,” McKenzie says. “I have been surprised to find archaic and out-dated hate still in place, still alive and well and fueled by fear, in response to some of my art. I have made the decision to respond to such hate not in the way it comes to me, but by creating ever more inclusive art that confronts prejudice and hate. The only path open to any of us is the one of love.” (Special thanks to Barbara Marian for permission to quote from her article “Recasting the Magi.” Please come back tomorrow for AltXmasArt 11: Radiant Baby _______________ The full story of the “Jesus of the People” controversy -- and more art by McKenzie -- are included in the book “Art That Dares: Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, and More” by Kittredge Cherry. The book is filled with color images by 11 contemporary artists. Five artists from AltXmasArt are featured in the book. The artists tell the stories behind their images and a lively introduction puts them into political and historical context, exploring issues of blasphemy and artistic freedom.