by Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry
In what appears to be the new San Francisco archbishop’s first intervention at the city’s gay-friendly Most Holy Redeemer parish, drag queens will no longer be allowed to be part of a neighborhood organization’s fundraising dinner which has been held in the parish hall for several years.
A Bay Area Reporter article reveals:
“For the past couple of years the Castro Country Club has held its event in the church’s social hall and had drag queens as entertainment.“As a statement issued by the country club’s board of directors explained, the new no-drag-queen policy at the church is simply unacceptable.” ‘The Castro Country Club had planned to hold our third annual Harvest Feast on October 20, 2012, at Most Holy Redeemer Church, where we have held this and other events in the past,’ the directors said in a statement.“But that changed when the club was notified by the church last week that they would not be able to hold the dinner if any drag queens were part of the program, the board said.”
“Most Holy Redeemer’s new pastor, the Reverend Brian Costello, confirmed over telephone on Monday, August 6, that drag queen performers and emcees are no longer permitted to participate in events at the church.
“Costello said that during a telephone conversation with a Castro Country Club representative, when the topic of drag queens came up, he told the person, ‘That is not going to work under the present circumstances.’
” ‘I said work with me. You can still have the dinner. You can have a regular emcee, but not drag queens on church property,’ Costello said.
“It seems the directive is the result of several factors.
” ‘I am the new pastor,’ Costello added. ‘There is a new archbishop. The archdiocese told me straight out, “No drag queens.” ‘ ‘”
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From Eternity To Here 
In direct protest to this very stupid restriction I would suggest that all the Drag Queens in the Bay Area should 1. Respectfully attend Mass together in Drag at Holy Redeemer Parish when this Pastor is the Celebrant, and do the same at the Cathedral when the Archbishop is celebrating Mass. No individual can be denied from attending Mass and this could be a non-violent way of approaching the situation. Trust me, as a former Asst. to the Catholic Bishop of Las Vegas, and a now renounced Roman Catholic, I am outraged by this decision from the church, but don’t get mad…get even. Good Luck to all…Love… Michael.
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What next, Bonfire of the Vanities? Is history cyclic?
Back in the late 60s, the then pastor of Most Holy Redeemer urged the youth of the parish to form gangs and attack the homosexual perverts on the streets. And they did. In fact they attacked any single male gay or not. At the behest of the Mayor and Police Chief of San Francisco, the Archbishop sent the pastor out to pasture, so to speak. The beatings ceased, ( I knew the priest who replaced the trouble maker)
Isn’t it amazing how some clerics in power interpret “ubi caritas et amor, ibi Deus est…”?
Is the new Metropolitain another twit from Opus Dei, or just another self-righteous clerical sycophant? God sho’ do work in mysterious ways.
gg
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I really don’t have words to say, because these kind of church event make a good benefits for the trust.
charity Australia
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