Achi news desk-
A confluence of events has led one church in Calgary to unite in a celebration of “worth and dignity,” and “holy protest.”
“We talked about doing ‘Drag Me To Church’ one Sunday and we went, yes, that’s a great possibility,” said the Rev. Samaya Oakley of Calgary Unitarian Church. “And I looked at the calendar and saw that this particular Sunday was Trans Visibility Day.
“And I thought, what better way to celebrate Trans Awareness Day by holding a ‘Drag Me to the Church’ service on Easter Sunday? So that’s what we do.”
Oakley said it will be a “typical Sunday service” for the large congregation, but with a twist: drag performers will be part of the service.
The all-ages section will include a story read by one of the performers.
“It’s a story about a young child who identifies differently and wants to wear different clothes at school and how they get support for that,” said Oakley. “The children will be sent out, we will make an offering, and our offer is going to help Skipping Stone.
“I’m going to tell the Easter story through (the drag performers) dance, so I’ll tell a little bit of the story, a performer will come out, we’ll sing a few songs. It will be a great event.”
Benjamin Tanner, who goes by the stage name Jessica Bunny, is one of the drag performers who will be part of the retelling of the Easter story.
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Tanner said when the Unitarians reached out it was “quite unusual and very exciting.”
“I think as queer people, for myself at least, things like church and faith can be one of the first things that go when we come out as ourselves. To have a place like this that is so welcoming is really lovely,” said Tanner.
“Easter is the time of recognition of transformation.”
Tanner has been performing drag for 15 years and said they have faced discrimination and ostracization for longer.
Oakley said part of the intent behind the event is to show the transgender and LGBTQ2 community that the church sees their “inherent worth and dignity.”
“Every time a child is born, it is a sacred and holy moment. A spark of the divine comes alive in this child’s life. So who are we to say that this spark of life is only good and valuable, and has inherited wealth and dignity? And that’s what we want to celebrate on this particular Sunday,” said Oakley.
The event tickets have been filled and the church has been working with the Calgary police for the safety of the attendees and performers. Oakley said she expected to see an opposing protest across the street.
“I intend to serve them coffee if we get them and help them to be comfortable doing what they are doing,” said the reverend.
Tanner said that “Drag Me To Church” provides an opportunity to have more than just recognize the diversity of the community.
“There’s a lot within our community that has come up recently and I think it’s really lovely to tie into Easter because, really, what’s important is celebrating our differences and celebrating each other for who we are,” Tanner said.
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
