Pastor who performed in drag on HBO docuseries loses job at Indiana church
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Here in the United States (and, really, globally) there are plenty of LGBTQ+ people and allies who are religious. This might sound surprising as religion can be harmful, oppressive, and isolating for queer people, but it can also be a space of affirmatioPastor who performed in drag on HBO docuseries loses job at Indiana church
Here in the United States (and, really, globally) there are plenty of LGBTQ+ people and allies who are religious. This might sound surprising as religion can be harmful, oppressive, and isolating for queer people, but it can also be a space of affirmation, care, and community. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. One ally, lead pastor Craig Duke of Newburgh United Methodist Church from Evansville, Indiana, appeared in an episode of We’re Here, an HBO series about several drag queens (Eureka O'Hara, Bob the Drag Queen, and Shangela) who give Americans in small towns drag makeovers and talk about their histories and connections with the queer community. Duke appeared in drag in the episode (for the curious, he lip-synced to Kesha’s We R Who We R) and described the experience as “incredibly wonderful” and “refreshing.” He stressed that if you want to “involve” different people in your ministry, you have to go and find those people and participate in their world. The episode also goes into Duke’s support for his daughter, who is openly pansexual. Some seriously heartwarming stuff. Unfortunately, Duke was ultimately “relieved of his pastoral duties” following the episode, which aired on Nov. 8, as reported by Religion News Service. Duke and his family have now set up online fundraising to help survive his job loss and help them to find a new place to live. Duke’s wife, Linda, has also resigned from her role as a youth pastor at the church. Read more