We’ve sure come a long way.
Not so far back — and for a very extended time — pride was considered a shortcoming.
Seven Deadly Sins
Regarding all the above, I believe we’ve reversed course.
But specifically concerning self-love, the formerly fatal practice has not only upped its societal Q, it’s now being embraced in church.
Such is the case — at least in terms of the term — at an Atlanta house of worship.
Emory University’s LGBTQUIA+ group, Emory Pride, recently held an annual extravaganza.
Here’s a little bit from The Emory Wheel about this group:
The Office of LGBT Life, founded in the fall of 1991, has used Emory Pride — an undergraduate LGBTQ and Ally organization — as the vessel through which the Office of LGBT Life connects to the student body. The club’s mission is to promote a community that encourages education and inclusion. In a recent review from eCollegeFinder, Emory was named the “most LGBT-friendly school” in Georgia.
Emory Pride’s largest yearly event is a real humdinger.
“Where else are you going to find a student-run Drag Show?” the 2015 article asked.
Vice President of External Affairs Anthony Chau enthused at the time, “[The show]Always packed. That’s the kind of audience turnout we want with all our events.”
And the LGBT crew is still packin’ it in.
This month — just as six years ago — the pageant took place at nearby Glenn Memorial Chapel.
The school-affiliated Methodist church welcomed a panoply of dress-donning dragsters, including host and college senior Tommy Greenler — “Pam” if you’re a stage’s-edge acolyte.
“Pam.on.the.gram” posted to Instagram about the buffet of broad…broads:
“Thank you @emorypride for booking me to host this amazing show for the third year in a row! This has been a highlight of my school experience. From my drag debut four years ago to now, I’ve really grown into myself as a queen, host, performer, and person. Proud of me, and forever grateful for the memories.”
Speaking to Campus Reform, the performer posed, “[T]here is something very subversive about hosting a drag show at a church, especially a Methodist church like Glenn Memorial.”
Pam’s into punk:
“The [United Methodist Church]Although Glenn Memorial has taken some anti-LGBT positions in the past, it is a good sign for Glenn Memorial that they have continued to allow drag shows in their church. … I personally think it’s kind of punk, to be a queer person hosting an unapologetically queer event in a church like this — I feel like this kind of breaking barriers is what drag is all about.”
The contestant’s not wrong.
And barriers’ days seem numbered.
As I covered in 2019, Durham, North Carolina’s Calvary United Methodist Church hosted “Drag Me to Church.”
Pastor Chris Agoranos says that the UMC’s gay marriage vote protest was a shindig. It was about positive vibes.
“It brings such good and positive energy, which is really what we wanted this to be about.”
Hope United Methodist Church of Illinois in spring promoted openly-gay drag Queen to the position of ordination.
Sometimes, Minister Isaac Simmons incorporates his alter-ego into sermons.
Some believe that Glenn Memorial Chapel in Georgia is serving as shelter.
Layla Aberman of Emory Pride, President, spoke out in support of dressing up for a risky world.
“Drag has provided a space for queer expression when homophobia, transphobia and racism make the world unsafe. Drag is about family.”
Emily Ogden, a participant in the show, voted safety
“As a woman with visibly queer friends on a college campus, going out comes with the fear of being harassed for wearing what feels comfortable. This was one of the few times that that thought didn’t even cross my mind.”
For those of you wondering who won the churched competition, “Hunk Dory Natasha” mopped the floor with the rest.
Proceeds went to The Trevor Project, which — per its website — is “the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) young people.”
Originally an organization for L’s, G’s and B’s, the site now offers The Guide to Becoming an Ally for Transgender Youth and Other Nonbinary Youth.
We seem to have experienced a shift in our attitudes towards the seven deadly sins.
An account on Twitter offeredSome contemporary connections
The New Normal
- Pride = LinkedIn
- Amazon = Greed
- Gluttony = UberEats
- Lust = Tinder
- Facebook: Wrath
- Envy = Instagram
- Netflix = Sloth
Personally, I’d link pride to all of social media.
Last year, I also wrote:
Today, we live in an age where selfie sticks are everywhere. Across a global electronic miracle, we post photos of ourselves on pages created by ourselves to showcase…ourselves.
Quick social media searches reveal a wealth of stunningly professional profiles. We’ve become our own publicists. Celebrity is dead, because we’re each the star of our own show.
But so goes progress. And so goes “pride.”
So goes Christian College Emory University.
Christian University Residence Hall is announcing “We are Here!” We’re Queer!’ LGBT Mural https://t.co/wYnPdZ9FAy
— RedState (@RedState) September 7, 2021
-ALEX
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