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Celebrating the colourful diversity of creation

Rev Patrick Jordan, Vicar of St Matthew’s Thorpe Hamlet, explains why he, along with other Christians, will be attending Norwich Pride on Saturday July 27.

We believe that God loves all of us and delights in all of us. So we want to be at Pride to say that this year. Some of us are LGBT+ Christians and want to enjoy the day and show that there are many who are Gay and Christian! Others of us are here with our LGBT+ fellow Christians because we wish to celebrate with them and thank God for the great and colourful diversity of all creation!
 
We also want to say ‘Sorry’ to all LGBT+ because the Church has often been very unfriendly, openly hostile and homophobic. Sadly there is still far too much of that around. We are offended by all this negative and hostile stuff. We want to shout loudly that God loves all humanity, male and female, lesbian and gay and straight, trans and intersex, and all of us who are still trying to work it out.
 
Traditionally the Church has said that to be gay is not what God intends for anybody. We strongly disagree! God made us all in our rich diversity and loves us all equally. God wants us all to be able to rejoice in who we are and how we are made.

In the morning there will be a stall outside St Peter Mancroft church where clergy and lay people from across the Diocese will welcome all who pass by.  There will be the opportunity to talk to those on the stall, or to ask them to pray with or for you.

In this year of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, all are invited to tie rainbow ribbons on our board which remembers some of the places where it isn’t ok to be LGBTI, or where Pride can’t be celebrated.

(This is not an official Diocese of Norwich event, nor should it be taken to represent an official position or mind of the Diocese, but is an invitation to individuals, who would like to attend, to join with other Christians participating in this event together.)

Pictured above are Christians at a previous Norwich Pride event.


Rev Patrick Jordan, is Vicar of St Matthew’s Thorpe Hamlet, part of the Diocese of Norwich


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