International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia (IDAHO)

Theme: 'Moving Forward Together' or ‘No more them and us’ (NI)

                                                                                         Sunday 13^th May 2012                                                                                                                      Cork: St. Anne’s, Shandon 11.00  Eucharist   Speaker Clive Davis (Cork)

Dublin: Christ Church Cathedral 3.30pm  Speaker Revd. Sandra Pragnell

Derry/ Londonderry: St Columb’s Cathedral 4.00pm  Speaker Paul Rowlandson   

Limerick: St. Mary’s Cathedral 7.00pm  Speaker Revd. Jane Galbraith

Waterford: Christ Church Cathedral 7.30pm  Speaker Rt. Revd. Michael Burrows, Bishop of Cashel and Ossory

Thursday 17th May 2012     

                        Belfast: St. George's High Street Sunday School Room   4.00-4.45pm. Launch of  Parish LGBT  Welcome leaflet                                 Speaker Pádraig O’Tuama

                                              Sunday 20^th May 2012                                                

                                                                    Belfast: St George’s Church, High Street  3.00pm   Speaker Professor Michael O’Flaherty,                                                                        Chief Commissioner NI Human Rights Commission

   

Friday 11th May 2012 St. Audoen's church (C of I) Cornmarket (250 metres beyond Christ Church Cathedral) 13.05-13.50hrs. Launch of Parish LGBT Welcome leaflet 
Speaker: Very Revd. Dermot Dunne, Dean of Christ Church, and a 30 min. extract from the documentary "Love Free or Die" featuring the debate at Convocation of     
The Episcopal Church (TEC) on whether gay clergy should be ordained.

Link to Thinking Anglicans Report on Church of Ireland Conference on Faith and Sexuality, Cavan, 9th-10th March 2012

Intrigued by same-sex union survey Belfast Newsletter LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Published Friday 16 March 2012 08:38

Belfast Newsletter SAME SEX UNION SURVEY Published 12th March 2012

Gerry Lynch Letter to Irish Times Published 14/03/2012

Some contributors to the Belfast Telegraph website have denied the veracity of MARY'S STORY. This incident which happened in 2004 shows the totally unpleasant experiences that some gay and lesbian persons have to endure from some conservative clergy. Her story is included in 'Moving Forward Together: Homosexuality and the Church of Ireland' pps 84-86, and was previously published in CAI's "Share Your Story" booklet 2010. MARY'S STORY

Speaking on RTE radio’s ‘The GOD SLOT’ on Friday 17th February Dr Elizabeth Butler, widow of Rt. Revd. Arthur Butler, a former Bishop of Connor, praised the Church of Ireland’s gay clergy.

Following the civil partnership of Dean Tom Gordon last summer, the Church of Ireland has convened a special conference on ‘sexuality’ which will take place in County Cavan on 9th- 10th March.

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/thegodslot/

International Day Against Homophobia: - 6 venues for 2012

Sunday 13^th May Cork: St. Anne’s, Shandon 11.00am Eucharist  (speaker TBC)

Sunday 13^th May Dublin: Christ Church Cathedral 3.30pm (Speaker Revd. Sandra Pragnell)

Sunday 13th May Limerick: St. Mary’s Cathedral 7.00pm (Speaker TBC) 

Sunday 13^th May Waterford: Christ Church Cathedral 7.30pm (Speaker Rt. Revd. Michael Burrows, Bishop of Cashel and Ossory)

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Sunday 20^th May Belfast: St George’s Church, High Street  3.00pm (Speaker Professor Michael O’Flaherty, Chief Commissioner NI Human Rights Commission)

                                                                                     Come with friends and family                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Dublin Book Launch: Thursday 9th February 2012. 18.15hrs. Trinity College Gallery Chapel, following Evensong at 17.15 hrs.                                                                      Speaker Judge Catherine McGuinness. Refreshments provided. 

Newbook from CAI - “Moving Forward Together: Homosexuality and the Church of Ireland”.

This book co-edited by Canon Ginnie Kennerley and Dr Richard O’Leary is being published to assist the mutual listening and discussion in preparation for the Church of Ireland’s special conference on sexuality in March 2012. It is available in hard copy and pdf format from Changing Attitude Ireland from 25th January 2012.

The contributions are by theologians, prominent members of the Church of Ireland and gay and lesbian persons in the Church of Ireland and include: Alan Acheson, Prof. Nigel Biggar, Bishop Michael Burrows, Dr Elizabeth Butler, Henry Haslam and Charles Elliot, Canon Charles Kenny, Rev Mervyn Kingston Ven. Gordon Linney, Jeremy Marks, Judge Catherine McGuinness, Canon Albert Ogle, Dr Andrew Pierce.

“Moving Forward Together:

Homosexuality and the Church of Ireland”

 edited by Canon Ginnie Kennerley and Dr. Richard O’Leary

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Foreword  Ginnie Kennerley   

Preface  Catherine McGuinness                                                                                              

1. FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO

Does the Faith stand or fall here? Nigel Biggar                     

So What About Romans 1? Charles Kenny                             

2. CHURCH OF IRELAND PERSPECTIVES

 Civil partnerships and the Church Gordon Linney                 

 Communion Where Convictions Divide Andrew Pierce         

Reviewing Lambeth ’98 1.10. Michael Burrows                     

 3. FACING REALITY

 Homosexuality- moving on?  Elizabeth Butler             

 Science, faith and sexual orientation Various            

4. LISTENING TO GAY PEOPLE

The Church needs to listen to its Gay Clergy, Mervyn Kingston                                                                    

My Vocation, Mary

A Civil Partnership celebrated in Church, Henry & Charles

A Gay cleric’s story. Albert Ogle

5. ACCEPTING DIVERSITY

An Evangelical appeals to tradition Alan Acheson                

A Journey from Self-condemnation to Acceptance  Jeremy Marks                                          

The Hard Gospel Project: From sectarianism to racism to homosexuality  Richard O’Leary

Further Reading                                                       

Contributors  

Copies are on sale from The Good Book Shop 61-67 Donegall Street Belfast BT1 2QH. 'No Alibis' Bookshop Botanic Avenue Belfast  and The Resource Centre, Holy Trinity Church, Rathmines, Dublin 6. Best Sellers (The Bible Bookshop) Dawson Street Dublin and many Cathedrals. NI £4/ROI €5 plus postage NI £1/ROI €3

 

13th Annual LGBT Christmas Carol Service, Dublin

Saturday, 10^th December, 2011 Carol Service  8.00 pm

Mulled Wine & Mince Pies at 9.15 pm

Unitarian Church St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2

                                                    Guest Speaker:    Ailbhe Smyth

CORK: St. Anne's Shandon. Thursday 22nd December 7.30pm. 3rd Annual Community Carol Service. (In association with CAI.) The visiting choir is Choral Chaos (an LGBT Community Group). Friends and family welcome.

 

The Primus of Scotland Rt. Revd. David Chillingworth supports the right of the state to introduce same sex civil marriage.
See article below from The Church of Ireland Gazette 21/10/2011

The Junior Yearly Meeting of the Young Quakers in a statement issued in 2010, have endorsed same sex marriage. It should be understood that this is not necessarily the official view of Irish Quakers as a whole.  Junior Yearly Meeting is an annual gathering of young Quakers from all over the island of Ireland between 14 and 18 years old who organise their own event and make their own decisions.  Quaker decisions are made by unanimous consensus that the group feel called by God to make a particular decision.

Junior Yearly Meeting Minute from 2010.

For the right joining in marriage is the work of the Lord only, and not the priests’ or magistrates’; for it is God’s ordinance and not man’s; and therefore Friends cannot consent that they should join them together: for we marry none; it is the Lord’s work, and we are but witnesses. - George Fox, 1669

On Sunday our topic was the sanctity of marriage. We started by exploring the values and conditions that make a successful marriage. We agreed that regardless of whether a couple chooses to marry or not, love, commitment and joy are key to stable, lasting relationships.

The Quaker testimony of equality came in throughout our discussions. The group felt a firm conviction that we support the equality and rights of same-sex couples to formalise a lasting commitment to each other through marriage. We ask Yearly Meeting and Friends throughout Ireland to discuss and reflect on JYM’s decision, and to consider whether Ireland Yearly Meeting’s current stance on same-sex marriage is consistent with the testimony of equality.

JYM attendees believe strongly that although the state does not recognise its legality, meetings throughout Ireland should consider whether they can witness and accept same-sex marriages, which exist spiritually if not legally.