Thread by @Jysster

As someone who 1. Grew up in a fundie family and school, & 2. Who has fought against the religious right in #hamont for years, it's taken me a few days to figure out what I want to say.

🧵I'm going to #dobetterforbekett by exposing how Redeemer has made #hamont worse for LGBTQ

https://twitter.com/CPRainbows/status/1600560702380728320

Their silence on Bekett's death reminds me of the silence I witnessed in 2018, when Redeemer and a coalition of #hamont churches hosted and sponsored an ex-gay event at Hamilton Convention Centre, a city-owned property.

Conversion therapy/practices was outlawed in Canada this year, because it is so harmful. But Redeemer saw fit to infect our city with Anti-queer rhetoric, inviting Ravi Zacharias, a Christian Apologist, and his 'ex-gay' lackey Sam Allberry to #hamont

Side note: Ravi Zacharias was accused of sexual abuse after his death in 2021: christianitytoday.com/news/2021/febr…

My first thought was, how is this acceptable, in a publicly-owned venue, to spread this harm and hate?

I investigated with allied organizations, people in politics & connected with the city. What I heard was- the coalition too powerful, too connected.

They were right.

With no success to stop the event, we hosted a counter-rally carnival at city hall, across from the convention center. We wanted to show any young person who was brought to that event that there is a loving community there waiting to accept them.

Months later, I saw one of the event sponsors, Hughson Street Baptist Church, hosting a "leadership brunch" for members of city council.

Who did they bring to talk to our representatives about leadership? None other than sex abuser and homophobe Ravi Zacharias

Attendees included Mayor Freddie, Merulla, and @ward1wilson , who later apologized after we notified her of the connection.

In September 2019, 2SLGBTQ+ expressed concern when right wing evangelical think tank Cardus sought to lease a city property google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.…

Cardus is not Redeemer, yes, but they are best buds. Many Cardus staff are Redeemer profs & graduates, and they sponsor Redeemers "Emerging Public Intellectual" Award.

Brad Clark said many Cardus pubs "could be interpreted by many as homophobic, Islamophobic and transphobic"

Cardus has scrubbed their most egregious articles, but their 2021 discussion paper on "Freedom of Consciousness" focuses 2 of 3 articles on denying support and access to 2SLGBTQI+ and trans folks.

cardus.ca/research/faith…

Quotes:

"In the case of human-rights codes, guidance should be provided that a refusal to use preferred pronouns does not constitute discrimination on the basis of gender identity or gender expression"

"We call on private entities to abandon mandatory pronoun policies"

The people who wrote and signed off on this piece are the same people who teach political science at Redeemer.

I feel so much for trans and 2SLGBTQI+ students at Redeemer, who see their identities and experience as mere talking points and debates.

I have so much more to say on this, but I'll leave it here.

Bekett just wanted to learn, worship, and lead their life in faith and Christian community. My heart is with their loved ones, chosen family and family or origin, and the allies who worked to support them