May
27
2007

Queerness

On Friday evening I went to Courage and Peterson Toscano was performing. Peterson describes himself as “a theatrical, performance, artist, a very queer and quirky Quaker, and an ex-gay survivor” and I think that it’s pretty good description to be honest.

I have been going to Courage for about 12 years I guess. I know it might seem a bit strange. I am a straight woman accessing a group for men and women (although it was mainly men I started going) who are gay and struggling with their sexuality, and often their faith. I started going when a gay friend of mine joined, and as I thought I was going to marry this particular gay friend (yeah OK I know I was delusional!!) I got in touch with Courage and they helped me deal with my own emotions. Over the years Courage has performed a really important function for me. They have provided me with the place that I can really be me. So often in the church as a single woman I feel like I am a bit of a non-entity. The church becomes so focussed on families that they forget about the single people in their community. Courage showed me that I could be a fully functioning person. That I could have a vital part to play, and most importantly Courage allowed to feel loved and accepted.

Watching Peterson perform is always funny and often thought provoking. He talked about a whole pile of different stuff on Friday, but one thing he spoke about was language. He talked about how there are so many different ways of describing people in the gay community… LGB, transsexual etc. etc. One of the terms Peterson used was ‘Queer’ and it is a term that I love and I guess in many ways I would include myself in the term Queer. I know I am straight but I am surrounded by people who have ‘alternative’ lifestyles and make really interesting and varied choices. I feel that my choices mean that I have a varied and wonderful and sometimes random community of friends. Queer seems to cover that community quite nicely. I am not sure I want to be seen as “mainstream”. I want to be me…. just Anna. I don’t want to be defined by my job, my sexuality, my family, by the way I look. I am happy to be me.

Oooo… also a quick plug. Peterson is involved in a new website called BeyondExGay. It has testimonies of people who have survived the process of the ex-gay movement and it is well worth a read so go and have a little look.

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized |

3 Comments »

  • Tractor Girl

    AD – inspiring post which says alot about the way the church works as well as about other stuff. Thank you. Saw Peterson Toscano at Greenbelt and agree he is excellent.

    Comment | May 28, 2007
  • soveda

    You’ll always be queer to me!

    Comment | May 31, 2007
  • Auntie Doris

    Spoken like a true gay man!! 😉

    Comment | May 31, 2007

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