Jo Inkpin Blog - Blessed Imp

a conversation on The Latest

2/4/2023

It was good to share recently on The Latest in LGBTIQ+ Health and Policy - a podcast that brings the health and wellbeing hot topic discussions that matter to LGBTIQ+ people:

Our conversation explored the intersection between faith and LGBTQ+ community, the changes happening within the church, overcoming barriers as a trans woman, and my 30 year relationship with wife Penny.'

This podcast was produced by JOY Media – Australia’s Rainbow Community Media Organisation. For more information about JOYs services, visit joy.org.au/services

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:16 — 34.7MB)
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Queer Christians address to rally against the anti-LGBTI+ far right

18/3/2023

I speak as both a transgender woman and as an Anglican priest, currently serving as an Uniting Church Minister. As a Queer Christian I am not alone. There are many of us in Sydney, and across the world. For we, and queer people of other faiths, have always existed. We can be found in the Bible, throughout history, and we are very much alive today. Yet our lives are so commonly denied. For we are an inconvenient truth: inconvenient both to the Christians who oppose us, and inconvenient also to others, including some in the queer community, who would deny our lives. As such, we are at the heart of the continuing culture wars we seek to end today and we share in the solidarity and hope which this gathering embodies. Indeed, without us the battles we face together simply cannot be won. We so need each other and we badly need others to hear our voices and act upon them...

queer people at the heart of the Gospel

19/2/2023

We have started producing some short video clips from LGBTIQA+ folk at Pitt Street Uniting Church - partly for the Sydney WorldPride season but also beyond - but also to help others and transform the silence and distortions that still accompany our lives and living faith. This brief contribution is entitled: 'The Gift of Queer People of Faith: bringing us back to the heart of the Gospel, helping Love flow'...

Queer Faces of Faith photo exhibition

16/2/2023

As part of both Equal Voices and Pitt Street Uniting Church, it was an immense delight to launch our Queer Faces of Faith photo exhibition - check out the photos and stories online here - at https://www.amplifyqueerfaith.com.au - and/or visit the physical exhibition at Pitt Street Uniting Church in the heart of the city of Sydney from 16 February to 31st March (before it goes on tour!).
The physical exhibition will be accessible during the Sydney World Pride and Mardi Gras festival period 17 February - 5 March (10am-2pm - at least - daily).
#AmplifyQueerFaith #QueerFacesOfFaith #QueerAllyFacesOfFaith

queer theology and World Pride

10/2/2023

Many thanks to Dr Meredith Lake and Rohan Salmond for inviting Penny Jones and I to share in this episode of ABC's Soul Search, exploring queer theology and its expression in World Pride. It was a great joy, including sharing with such delightful co-interlocutors and friends as Dr Peter Kline and Benjamin Oh.
Link here

launching Faith@WorldPride with Queer Angels

19/12/2022

It was huge thrill to share in the launch of our Faith@WorldPride initiatives at Pitt Strete Uniting tonight, as our first large and extraordinarily gorgeous 'queer angels' (Compassion, Courage and Joy) arrived, with the amazing Jyllie Jackson and her team from LightnUp in Lismore (our community arts and justice partners and inspirators). It was a wonderful opportunity to meet before the various Faith@WorldPride events next year and to share something about what we are all being and doing. In addition to tahking Jyllie and her team, we were also delighted to have our friends from Studio Commercial with us to take some group photos to complement the first batch of Queer Faces of Faith exhibition photos currently being taken.
More information in the Wine with Queer Anegls brochure here

Pancake Pride and Faith@WorldPride

19/11/2022

We're delighted to be hosting the Rainbow Christians Together Faith@WorldPride event on ShroveTuesday (aka the original Mardi Gras) at Pitt Street Uniting Church - with food, great music, wonderful speakers, worship and fabulous friends
(and yes, we hope to live-stream the event too for those who can't join us onsite)
#faithfullylgbt
#lovenotexclusion
#rainbowchristian

where now for religion and politics after marriage equality?

17/11/2022

It was good to attend the first day of the APSA Workshop on Religion and Politics After Marriage Equality at Macquarie University this week - although I was unable due to illnes to be at the second day - with many thanks to Dr Eleneie Poulos and Kate Gleeson for putting together such a brilliant program, and to all the other speakers for sharing their insights. Much to think about on this topic with a new federal government.

My own paper - 'On climbing out from under the bus: queer faith futures in a cisgender world' can be read here

lighting up with queer angels with Lismore

31/10/2022

Such a delight to be partnering with renowned community artists Jyllie Jackson OAM and her Lismore LightnUp team on the Queer Angels project - part of our Faith @ World Pride initiatives. Two of the larger Queer Angels are now in production in Lismore - despite the latest bout of flooding - part of our Faith @ World Pride initiatives at Pitt Street Uniting Church Sydney with Equal Voices and other faith and community partners.

blessed Insight

12/10/2022

Fahimah, co-president of the Muslim Collective, is such a good friend and inspiration to us at Pitt Street UC, and beyond, and she expresses so well (in her words and, crucially, her deeds) the purpose of all good faith - to strengthen lives of all kinds and nurture the common good - so horribly betrayed by some ‘religious’ folk #lovenotpelvicorthodoxy
Such a joy to sit and walk with her again recently - not least in the SBS Insight program in which we both shared. This explored what is happening with religion in Australia, particularly with the rise of 'nones' (people saying they affiliate with no religion) and 'dones' (those still people of faith but disenchanted with their inherited brand). It was moving, and sometimes challenging, to hear stories of pain and hurt as part of this, as well as some stories of life and liberation. Fahimah's words were part of the blessed insights the great Wisdom traditions can still offer - if they grow up and become more fully divinely human in their recognition and affirmation of everyone's human dignity and questions.