Friday, 10 September 2010

Situational heterosexuality

"‘Situational heterosexuality’ is a term I’ve used for several years when people have asked how I could have been married for so many years and yet be gay. This term has also helped people gain a clearer understanding of what really happens when someone who is homosexual marries someone of the opposite sex and claims change. Confusion about what really happens in these situations still exists and often wrongly reinforces the ‘homosexuality is a choice’ and ‘homosexuals can change’ concept.

"How often have you heard someone say something like this ‘They couldn’t be gay, they’re married’. When someone says that to me, I just remain silent for a while with a smile on my face (having been a gay man in a heterosexual marriage) and wait for what I’m actually thinking to sink into the consciousness of the person who made the naive statement."

- Former "ex-gay" evangelical minister Anthony Venn-Brown, quotation found at Joe My God.

Brown, is described by Wikipedia as one of Australia's leading LGBT activists.   I do not (yet) have any supporting evidence whether this is a valid claim, or some clever self- promotion. Whatever his merits as a speaker and LGBT “ambassador” (the term he prefers to “activist”), it is clear from his own testimony that he is at the very least yet another evangelical preacher who has seen the errors in “traditional” teaching on sexuality, and is now promoting full LGBT inclusion in church.

In 2004 he published his autobiography, A Life of Unlearning - Coming out of the church, One Man's Struggle. The book detailed his struggle to reconcile his homosexuality with his Christian beliefs. It won the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Business Association Literary award in 2004. The revised edition, A Life of Unlearning: a journey to find the truth was published in 2007.

2 comments:

  1. yep.....i'm real terence.....have to do some self promotion.....but for the cause....not for me.

    hope that helps.

    Currently in London actually.

    http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=129481043766622

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  2. Thanks, Anthony - glad to hear it. (I was not attempting to denigrate you, just stating neutrality until I know more).

    I will gladly help in promoting you and your work once I know a little more - just I attempt to promote all initiatives I know of that advance "the cause" - here and at my primary site, "Queering the Church" (http://queering-the-church.com/blog/)

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