Perhaps in some parallel universe there's a Catholic Church that's actually creating and promulgating the type of brave and hopeful message contained in the advertisements that the Irish are making in this universe! After all, it's a message of inclusion and liberation – which is what Jesus' life and message was all about.
Then again, perhaps in this parallel universe I've conjured, there's no need for this type of ad as there's no anti-Christ behavior, including homophobic bullying – which is the problem that the Irish ad below so beautifully and powerfully addresses and which, sadly, the institutional Catholic Church is deeply mired in. In other words, don't expect an ad like the following coming from the Vatican's Media Office any time soon!
This short film you've just watched is an Irish anti-homophobic bullying advertisement, created as part of BeLonGTo Youth Services annual Stand Up! LGBT Awareness Week. The campaign promotes friendship amongst young people as a way to combat homophobic bullying.
It is written and directed by Anna Rodgers and Aoife Kelleher, and produced by Zlata Filipovic.
See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Dave Navarro to LGBT Youth: We Need Your Voice
Quote of the Day – October 4, 2010
A Prayer for International Day Against Homophobia
Catholic Theologian: "Heterosexism, Not Homosexuality, is the Problem"
Photo of the Day – October 19, 2010
Quote of the Day – October 10, 2010
Confronting Classroom Homophobia
Rob Tisinai on the Facts We Need to Know About Hate Crime Laws
Homophobia? It's So Gay
The Tragedy of Homophobia
A Humorous Look at Internalized Homophobia
The Pope's "Scandalous" Stance on Homosexuality
Archbishop Weakland, the Clergy Abuse Scandal and Homophobia
The "Ratzinger Letter" of 1986 as "Theological Pornography"
The Blood-Soaked Thread
Catholic Church Can Overcome Fear of Gay People
"A Courageous Document"
Recommended Off-site Links:
Why Anti-Gay Bullying is a Theological Issue – Cody J. Sanders (Religion Dispatches, October 2, 2010).
Judy Shepard: A Lack of Empathy Helps LGBT Suicide Thrive – Michael Jones (Change.org, October 1, 2010).
It Gets Better
5 comments:
Beautiful... inspiring. My prayer is that we would all be holding hands rather than clenching fists.
Thank you Michael.
This is so beautiful that I can't hardly contain myself! What strikes me is that this is a quenticentially Catholic response to this issue. Not the institutional Catholic response but the response that represents that which is the Best of Catholicism. The Heartfelt reaching out in Compassion to those on the margin. It makes so much sense that this would come out of Ireland. Oh, Magisterium, Listen to your people, if you still have ears!...
Somebody needs to send this to your Archbishop. He needs to watch it several times and think about it.
Thanks for posting this Michael - a beautiful and moving testimony to what the inclusive and open-minded energy that is being cultivated within my generation can do! Hope you don't mind if I share this on Facebook :)
Thanks, everyone, for your comments.
And, Phillip, I don't mind at all if you share it. In fact, I first came across this video when a friend shared it on Facebook!
Peace,
Michael
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