...acceptance speach

It has been a week of dinners and socialising on both sides of the coin and in equal measure.

Some good nights, some great & all unique in their own way .

People blowing off steam in thier own way which to be honest has little to do with the seasonal festivities. Bit hypocritical really , but there you have it. I'm just as hypoctitical in this sense. 

Monday night was not a pre-meditated or planned dinner, do or party. I had intended a quiet night in. 

There was an open invitation to attend an alternative LGBT carol service, which with my stance on the subject of religion I had given my apologies almost straight away with out much further consideration.

However , on the Sunday night prior to the event I had been giving this a little more thought.

Here was a group of people making an outward effort to embrace and welcome an element of the fringe community.  Offering a little acceptance, acknowlegement.  An olive branch.  Something we all sectrtly desire I suspect.

I came to the conclusion that if this church can put aside what I would percieve as differences then who am I to reject thier openness without compramise? . A) it would be just down right rude & selfish of me, B) removing any barriers between any section of the community has got to be engouraged surely  ?

My stance has never been to reject organised religion. I truely have no problem with people having thier beliefs , traditions & rituals.  In truth I find myself a little jealous of peoples faith . Something not available to me.

My problem has always been with the systematic judgement. The I am right , you are wrong element.

I find it a little confusing though with what is essentially the same denomination  , how interpritation can allow such a divergence of acceptance within the church.

Here was a group offering that acceptance though.

So I  attended.  Memories of my childhood around the fringes of the church & more specifically my old church run school came flooding back.  Not terrible moments , but they have been consigned to  thier place in my memory.

Part of the sermon was simply about acceptance.  Acceptance of people, however they want to live, what they want to believe, how they want to present or see themselves.

Wonderful.  Well maybe. I sat & listened and came to the conclusion that this was a call to all present on both sides of the congregation.  Here we all are just people get along with each other,  but to my mind the mere fact that these folk were there was indication that this was possibly already the case.

Preaching to the converted already.

Baring in mind that prior to walking in through the door, the busy city out side I had been whistled & shouted out at. (which is ok , because trans folk don't have feelings)

I seemed to me that, although welcome, the sermon was a little mis-directed.  For both groups present who still get dirision from the general populus the focal point of the should not have been toward those inside the walls,  but those on the outside. 

That said ,  I did actually feel better for going along. I thank those who arranged this  & thank them for prompting me to be a little more considerate.