Peterson Toscano live on stage – star of the Edinburgh Fringe and Greenbelt Festivals
Amidst the continuing fractious debates over the place of lesbian and gay people in the life of the Anglican Communion, the worldwide gathering of 650 Anglican bishops now meeting in Canterbury, United Kingdom will have a unique opportunity to learn from and listen to a proudly defiant and humorously challenging Christian gay man performing on the Conference Fringe tonight [Wednesday 30th July] and tomorrow [Thursday 31st July]
This struggle and bitterness is a very personal matter for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of faith. Peterson Toscano is one such person. A conservative evangelical Christian much of his life, and once an Anglican worshipper, he spent 17 years and over £40,0000 (GBP) $30,000 (USD) on three continents attempting to straighten himself out. He endured all manners of therapies and ministries including exorcisms in the US and the UK. He expected a cure, but instead he grew depressed, suicidal and hopeless. In 1998 he accepted the reality of his gay orientation and began the process to integrate his faith with the rest of his personality.
Peterson chronicled some of his journey in the critically acclaimed one-person show, Doin’ Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House - How I Survived the Ex-Gay Movement! In the past five years as he has travelled throughout North America, Europe and West Africa where he has met others who have endured similar traumatic experiences at the hands of therapists who seek to de-gay their clients. Last year he co-founded www.beyondexgay.com, a resource for ex-gay survivors and has helped organize events in the US and Europe to highlight the potential dangers of trying to suppress and change one’s orientation and gender differences. Since May 2008 he has been to Malta, Barcelona and the Channel Islands where he has met with church leaders from Elim Church, New Frontiers and the Roman Catholic Church to outline the benefits that come from the full inclusion of LGBT people in faith communities.
"We are delighted to be hosting this acclaimed performer in a first for the Lambeth Conference" said LGCM’s Chief Executive Revd Richard Kirker today, "as we have come to the conclusion that all the Commissions, Reports, Research, Plenaries, Debates, and Hearings on sexuality which have so preoccupied the Anglican Church for three decades have created precious little change for the better that the time has come for a different, more accessible and human approach. We are pleased that the Archbishops of Wales, Rt Rev Barry Morgan is sponsoring the shows and will be with us for the Thursday performance."
ENDS
For more information please contact:
Rev Sharon Ferguson
Tel: + 44 (0)20 7739 1249
Email: Sharon Ferguson
Richard Kirker
Chief Executive
Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement [LGCM]
Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, London, E2 6HG
Office Tel & Fax 020 7739 1249
www.lgcm.org.uk
lgcm@lgcm.org.uk
Registered
Charity No 1048842.