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'Being transsexual, I think an awful lot about where prejudice comes from'
Jo Clifford; Jesus, Queen of Heaven
Trans playwright defends Jesus, Queen of Heaven against angry Christians
The trans woman whose portrayal of Jesus as a man wanting to become a woman caused more than 300 Christian protesters to demonstrate in the centre of Glasgow has defended her play, Jesus, Queen of Heaven, saying such prejudice has no place in the Bible.
Demonstrators waving placards and singing hymns and gospel songs blocked Chisholm Street for more than three hours on Tuesday night as they held a vigil outside the Tron Theatre where the play was opening. One placard read: "Jesus, King of Kings, Not Queen of Heaven," others stated: "God: My Son is Not A Pervert," and: "God save Scotland from blasphemy."
One protestor, Jack Bell, pastor of the Zion Baptist Church in Polmadie, told the Herald: "We are here to protest against the blasphemy of this play," another, Peter Campbell, of St Andrew's Roman Catholic Church in Greenock, said: "I am here to say enough is enough. I feel I have to do something because I don't feel this is right and I have to stand up for the cause of Jesus."
Jesus, Queen of Heaven is being staged as part of the Glasgay! arts festival, which receives funding from Glasgow city council and the Scottish Arts Council. The Christian Institute has said the festival is "further proof of an agenda to use taxpayers' money to fund assaults on Christian values".
The plays author, Jo Clifford, 59, who also plays Christ in the production, told the Herald: "I think it is very sad that the protest has enlisted Christians who have difficulties with gays and transsexuals. I wanted to point out that this does not have any foundation in the Bible.
"The people who angered Jesus were the scribes, Pharisees and hypocrites - people who were deeply prejudiced, those who passed judgement on people they did not know. Being transsexual, I think an awful lot about where prejudice comes from."
