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After refusing to comply with censorship imposed by Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade,
the Raelians have been expelled after 12 years of participation in the event.
Raelian spokesperson Luke Roberts, who also speaks for ARAMIS
(the Raelian Association of Sexual Minorities), explained in a statement released today that the parade committee objected both to the use of mainstream religious symbols in the word HOMOPHOBIA and to the phrase, “Homophobia is criminal bible bullshit.”
In his statement, Roberts (aka Pope Alice, an icon of the Gay Movement) denounced the Mardi Gras committee’s request to remove religious symbols from the word “homophobia.”
“It’s an absurd request considering that mainstream religions created homophobia in the first place,” he said. “And use of the word bullshit is really pretty mild, when there isn’t a word despicable enough to describe the religious killings of millions of GLBTQ people [the acronym stands for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer] for centuries, or for the ongoing bullying, gay bashing and murders inspired by religious leaders and texts. Nor is there a word to convey the hopelessness that young gay, lesbian and transgender people feel in a world full of religious prejudice against them.”
“It was a worrying development when the Mardi Gras committee pandered to religious pressure and thereby insulted the founders and the very spirit of Mardi Gras,” Roberts continued. “The committee actually lost sight of the reasons this event originated. It appears that religious individuals have infiltrated Mardi Gras to pursue their agendas against gay rights and other freedoms, just as they do in schools and governments.”
Roberts said it’s important for those who disagree with such agendas to speak out now. “To be silent on this serious matter is to be complicit with the censorship of free speech by the Mardi Gras board and its Parade Committee,” he emphasised. “If we don’t speak out against the homophobic crimes of mainstream religions, we are also complicit in those crimes, and thereby doomed to live truncated lives dominated by religious bigotry".
“That’s why we’re asking all gay Christians, gay Muslims and gay Jews to leave their religions. By remaining in those religions, they are hypocrites supporting crimes against their own people, and they’re also giving strength to mainstream religious fervor, whether they are openly gay or not.”
Roberts said the Raelian Movement understands that the Bible “has been manipulated by vested human interests and needs to be censored to remove the lies and hateful passages.” But he said Raelians respect other Biblical passages that detail contact with the Elohim, a race of extraterrestrial scientists mistaken for gods by our ancestors. Raelian philosophy teaches that the Elohim “made humans in their own image and after their own likeness.” Raelians also respect Christ as one of the great prophets, along with Buddha, Moses and Mohammed.
“More than ever, we must speak out and prevent religious lobbying and prejudice masquerading as political correctness,” Roberts said. “We must show that those with this agenda are putting undue pressure on Mardi Gras. And most of all, we need to ask, ‘Now that you know, what can you do about it?’ With that in mind, we’re asking those with floats in this parade to highlight religious homophobia by displaying our message.
“And we’re also looking for people prepared to hang the “banned banner” on their buildings and/or in window spaces along the parade route, particularly at Oxford and Flinders Streets, or on their floats during the Mardi Gras Parade. We ask the community to assist us in getting this message out by promoting it freely and openly!”
Please help! ARAMIS (the Raelian Association of Sexual Minorities) has put out a call to all who wish to spread our message: HOMOPHOBIA IS CRIMINAL, BIBLE BULLSHIT. Please write to bannedbanner@raeliangay.org or see www.raeliangay.org.
For more information or for an interview, with Luke Roberts, Raelian spokesperson for ARAMIS
(the Raelian Association of Sexual Minorities)
call Tara Blackman 02 66 295738
MORE NEWS ON POPE ALICE 'S ART EVENT RE THIS ACTION _ SEE END OF MEDIA RELEASE
http://www.seekingmedia.com.au/news.php?newsid=2418&g=-1
https://www.facebook.com/events/352228664798533/
ARAMIS
Raelian Association of Sexual Minorities