Standing for love in the face of hate
Justice & Advocacy
“In the face of such bigotry, persecution and extremism, Christians are always called to stand with and protect ‘the least of these’. Every single one of us is created in the image of God. So to love God we must love one another – showing compassion, courage and generosity of spirit. It’s really that simple,” says Bishop Jeremy Greaves
A UK far-right provocateur and anti-transgender activist is currently on a speaking tour of Australia. Much has been written about her – both locally and internationally. In her speaking and writing she cruelly persecutes one of the most marginalised and vulnerable groups of people – the trans- and gender-diverse community.
She has a well-documented history of association with various extremist individuals and groups – neo-Nazis are known to attend her rallies in support of her. On Saturday at her rally on the steps of Victorian parliament, 20 black-clad and mostly-masked members of a local neo-Nazi group gave Nazi salutes in an effort to enrage the peaceful counter-protest and ostensibly “protect” the anti-trans campaigners led by the UK speaker.
That this UK speaker is also known for highly offensive comments about Muslim girls wearing hijabs and appears in a video encouraging US men to “carry” (US slang for “carry a firearm”) into women’s toilets to intimidate trans women tells me that her agenda is more far-right rather than “pro-woman”.
In the face of such bigotry, persecution and extremism, Christians are always called to stand with and protect “the least of these”.
Every single one of us is created in the image of God. So to love God we must love one another – showing compassion, courage and generosity of spirit. It’s really that simple.
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