SYDNEY (LifeSiteNews) — Christian protestors have successfully shut down a new “LGBTQIA+ pop-up club” being held in a former church in Sydney, Australia, after vigorous rallying to stop what many called “blasphemous” mockery of religious faith. One performance featured drag queens dressed as nuns.
The old church has been used as a theatre for decades after being deconsecrated in 1932, but up to 70 protestors from “Catholic and other Christian groups” rallied outside the former house of worship on July 8 when LGBT activists announced that they would be hosting mocking events, including an opening event called “Sunday Mess – An Unholy Brunch Party: The Resurrection.”
The LGBT group that had rented the building dubbed it “The Divine Playhouse,” and Christian groups called on the government of New South Wales to withdraw the $100,000 grant the group had been given. According to ABC News:
On Wednesday, Divine Playhouse said in a statement that following “pre-emptive action taken by our landlord, we have been forced to close the venue and cancel all events”. It also said Meta had shut down Divine Playhouse’s social media accounts, as well as those of some LGBTQIA+ community accounts, including events collective Heaps Gay.
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According to Kat Dopper, the organizer for “Heaps Gay,” the landlords of the building notified them of a breach and ordered them to “cease carrying on offensive trade” or face a termination of the lease.” City of Sydney Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Miller stated that she supports the LGBT group.
“Anyone who’s lived in Sydney, I think, has seen a drag queen,” she said. “I’ve certainly seen more risqué things at Mardi Gras and probably walking down the street, at 10 o’clock on a Friday night. Sydney has always had a really proud tradition of supporting art and creativity, particularly that created by the LGBTQIA+ community. So, you know, I think it’s really important to have that as part of our economy, the creative sector in Sydney is worth $14 billion.”
The LGBT group ironically insisted that they had been acting in “good faith” and “causing offence was not our intention.” One Catholic who joined the protestors, Liam Aquilina, told the press that he had come to “pray against the mockery of our faith” and that “we had people dressing up as nuns … There was the sale of vodka or tequila as unholy water.”
Aquilina also condemned a handful of protestors who had yelled at attendees. “That ruins it for the Christian faith as a whole. And all of us, most of us condemn that, that’s not what we’re there for.”
Over at the Guardian, columnist James Thorpe condemned the targeting of the “Divine Playhouse” over insults to Christianity, stating that people must “dispense with the idea that Christianity occupies some unique or ancient claim over Australian public life. Australia is not a Christian nation.”
When churches close down and become LGBT nightclubs and the scene of deliberate mockery and blasphemy, it’s difficult to disagree with him.
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Not today Lucifer.