The Project Proposal

Why is the Sydney Pride Parade called “Mardi Gras?” The simple answer is found in a brief exchange at its creation as Mardi Gras had come to mean a sort of street party. The original marchers wanted to show solidarity with Stonewall activists and believed that the notion of a party would be less likely to lead to violence than a political demonstration. More can be read about the origins HERE. They were, of course, incorrect but the tradition continued. In fact, the notion of queer liberation has always continued to present itself in the form of celebration, a colorful display of expression and freedom from inhibition. And yet, in the center of it all, the Christian faith has always been present, most often seen in unfortunate opposition to the queer rights movement. Why then, align a queer celebration with a holiday rooted in Christian tradition?

In the Christian tradition, Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is a chance to indulge before letting go of such indulgences before the contemplative journey of Lent. For those who give up certain things for Lent, such as fat, Mardi Gras is the last day to consume before a self-sacrifice. However, in the queer community, sacrifice and reserved nature is often something not self-imposed. Humility that is taken up during Lent is often forced onto queer folks from the beginning in the form of degradation of the self rather than humble acceptance. In this sense, the pride that Christians seek to escape from their journey from Mardi Gras to Ash Wednesday is a way of claiming their humanity. Meanwhile, the queer community, who are often denied their humanity, must work from degradation to Pride as a form of self-acceptance. Their journey is one from the closeted stillness of Lent to the emotional release of Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras is a release. It is an opportunity to take everything that is trapped: the good, the bad, and the beautiful and embrace it all in joyful expression as a community. Mardi Gras is a form of catharsis through celebration just as Pride is a form of protest through celebration. Even the Mardi Gras tradition in New Orleans began under colonization and yet found power in the way its expression rebelled against the suppressive religious restrictions that created the very holiday. In truth, if the indulgences found in Mardi Gras is still subjected to the regulations of the church, it still exists in a type of closet. We can see this fear of the chaotic still today in the rigorous organizations of Pride parades set under the guidelines of the government and watched over by the police. True release rejects the systems of power, returning to the Stonewall Riots and the first Sydney Mardi Gras.

My question going into this is how this journey from Ash Wednesday to Mardi Gras plays out in the queer community. How is the queer community still tied to the Christian church and what does that mean for our existence as queer Christians? How is the typical liturgical journey subverted to reflect the queer experience? I recognize that Queer Pride is something that has evolved across countries and cultures. In many places, it is still a dangerous act of rebellion. In others, it has been more widely accepted. Churches march in Pride parades and churches still protest against such parades. There have been multiple ways in which the queer community has similarly challenged the church from the play, Corpus Christi, to the expression of queerness under the term “Mardi Gras.” There is a heavy focus on predominately-white Pride parades despite the origins of Pride being by queer people of color at Stonewall. However, there are still many areas such as South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, Brazil, and countries across Central and South America that have embraced Pride as well as eastern European countries where queerness is still silenced. How does queer pride change in its expression and its relationship with the church across our history and across the globe?

I hope to explore this question in some form in the future. It is not my intention to put myself in danger by seeking to go where homosexuality is outlawed or where Pride parades are known to result in violence. However, I still wish to explore the different way Pride is presented, as well as the holidays of Mardi Gras/Carnival. I know that this is a long journey so I would intend to start simple with a small collection of Pride events in the United States and Europe. Namely, I intend to attend Chicago Pride for the first time and hope to engage with Pride events in Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Copenhagen. I recognize that, as an autistic person, I will need to be prepared and likely not alone if I am entering into loud, crowded spaces. Ideally, I can talk with members of the queer community and members of local churches as someone who bridges the intersection of both communities.

My initial questions would be to observe how Pride is observed differently in each location and how, if at all, the church is present in those spaces. How does the relationship between the church and the queer community change in different cultures? Is the history of trauma still prevalent throughout or are there places where healing is more strongly evident? For my queer community, what do they need from the church in this moment? For my church community, how do they respond to the Pride events? What reactions have they faced based on their theology and how do they intend to interact with the queer community? For those with affirming theology, how has it best been expressed in their context?

My question for myself is to truly ask how I can be the bridge between my communities. The one issue I see is that I am still not a member of the clergy and it has become more evident just how necessary that calling is for my ministry. It is easy to visibly claim my place in the queer community. However, without the access to the collar and the stole (and the conference support that comes with it), how can I visibly be seen as a representative of the church when I step out from my setting of the local church? I recognize that I will be perceived differently as a church leader than as a queer person and I need to experience all those perceptions in order to truly understand where pain and healing are evident in my discussions. How can I best claim my authority in ministry without the outward signs of my call?

If this experiment should prove successful, I would seek to expand my exploration further. From there, I would seek to encounter the two earliest and most iconic locations for Pride in the United States: New York City and San Francisco. Staying domestic, I would also explore the birthplace of Mardi Gras in New Orleans and WorldPride 2025 taking place in Washington D.C. I would then seek to explore, with time and resources available, more international locations for Pride (Central America, South America, Japan (Tokyo), Taiwan (Taipai), South Africa, Spain (Madrid), Turkey, Thailand, New Zealand, Philippines, Germany (Berlin), Iceland (Reykjavík), and Canada (Toronto)). Obviously, this would be a long process and I may have to narrow down the list as I go and as I continue to learn where the project is leading me. Alongside the Pride events, I would explore the Mardi Gras/Carnival events of Venice, Rio De Janeiro, and Holland. Larger, multicultural events such as EuroPride and WorldPride (if unable to attend in D.C.) are also eventual goals. Finally, the ultimate destination is the Sydney Mardi Gras, the combination of the themes of Pride and Mardi Gras to see where the two intersect.

            Right now, this is merely a vision but I see a practical opportunity to attend specific Pride events in Europe before engaging with global church experiences at the World Methodist Conference in Sweden. In doing so, I can gain a small image of what this journey looks like from Ash Wednesday to Mardi Gras and where the queer community finds their expression in relation to the church. Even by itself, this initial trial would provide educational opportunities to bring back home. I can report back to Wesley and the Northern Illinois Conference on how I was able to engage with people at the different Prides. Even in the short term as I work with families in justice ministry, how do I observe families and children in these Pride settings and what are age-appropriate ways to include children in justice ministry? How did the queer people seem to perceive me as a church leader? How did the church people in Sweden perceive me as a queer person? What lessons can we take back to our own practice on how we can best be a resource for queer people seeking community and healing?