-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Alder [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Friday, August 22, 2003 4:22 AM
To: Insights
Subject: GLBT?
G'day All
I've been thinking...
and that's dangerous...
GLBT means "Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transexual" as I understand it.
In the current UCA discussion, we mean practice, not just predisposition. EMU has said that there's no problem with ordaining celibate people who consider themselves gay or lesbian, and I have heard no dissent from this.
I'm unhappy to put these four together. My first problem is the "T". The first three are decisions, assuming we mean "practising". The last one, the "T", is not. There's no such thing as a non-practising transexual. Even if they are completely celibate they remain transexual. Claims (controversial claims, but let's accept them for the moment) that there's a "gay gene" don't put GLB in the same class as T in this regard.
I'm quite happy to ordain people who have had ambiguous sexuality, whether it's been resolved surgically or whether it's been resolved by their own decision or whether it is still unresolved. But I have heard no discussion of this at all. So until someone objects to transexual ordination, let's drop the "T".
There is a similar problem with lumping GLB together. Surely, a practising bisexual must have more than one partner? If they are practising "right relationships", that's not practising bisexuality. "GL" can describe people in committed, exclusive relationships. "B" can't. That's not rocket science surely.
Or have I missed something?
I haven't yet heard anyone suggest that we should ordain people with (practising) bisexual lifestyles. So until they do (and I suspect this is only a matter of time but that's another issue) let's drop the "B" too. It's just confusing the issues.
Food for thought?
YiCaa****
email: andrewa @ alder . ws
http://www.zeta.org.au/~andrewa
Phone 9441 4476
Mobile 04 2525 4476
****
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