A Canadian town reversed its Pride flag ban, parishioners feel welcome after an Australian priest came out as trans, and Greece's prime minister received backlash for pledging to legalize same-sex marriage.
Pride Flag Ban Reversed In Canadian Town
A bylaw that called for the banning of Pride flags, and all other non-government flags, was reversed in Norwich, a town in Ontario, Canada.
According to Pink News, the ban, voted through in April 2023, was proposed by Councillor John Scholten, who suggested that flying flags that represented a specific group or ideology would “only divide rather than unite.”
The ban caused a town-wide outcry disheartening LGBTQ residents and led one Councillor, Alisha Stubbs, to resign out of protest.
After nearly a year of division, the town council voted to reverse the ban and install a community flagpole that will fly flags to represent various causes and groups at the request of residents.
Parishioners Feel Welcome After Priest Comes Out
Reverend Selina McMahon. Photo via Facebook.
Reverend Selina McMahon’s coming out has led to more members of the parish feeling welcome in the church.
According to Pink News, McMahon is a priest in the Anglican Church Southern Queensland parish in Australia. A few parishioners dropped out of the congregation after the priest came out as trans, but the majority of the response has been positive.
“I’ve cross-dressed ever since I was a teenager, but I never ever believed I would transition because I didn’t feel confident enough or brave enough,” said McMahon in an interview with GCN.
McMahon said that being open about her transition has inspired parishioners to share their truth. Now, she is advocating for more safe spaces for the LGBTQ community in church.
Greek PM Faces Opposition Over Gay Marriage Pledge
Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Photo via Facebook.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek prime minister, is facing pushback after taking a pledge to legalize same-sex marriage.
“I, and all those who believe in this legislation, must convince our parliamentarians and subsequently those who may still have a negative stance [that] what we are going to legislate is equality in marriage, which means the elimination of any discrimination based on sexual orientation. It is not something radically different from what applies in other European countries,” said Mitsotakis in an interview with public broadcaster ERT.
According to The Guardian, Mitsotakis belongs to the New Democracy’s “modern faction” and is facing disapproval from both his own deputies and the Orthodox church.
Clerics in Greece warn that approving same-sex marriage will lead to members of the LGBTQ community assuming parental rights and would result in the dismantlement of Greek society.
But the PM says legalization of same-sex marriage would not change the law on assisted parenthood and that same-sex couples, just like heterosexuals, could continue to adopt children.
“We will listen to the views of the church. I don’t know if we will be able to agree, but it is the state that legislates, it doesn’t co-legislate with the church,” said Mitsotakis.
