Christingle becomes transphobic. Apparently.

[Defaultname]

Christingle, which I'd never heard of, meant a lot to this family until...

",,,as the queer and transgender father of a two-year-old, I visited the church’s website. I was hoping to find a message of inclusivity, something to reassure me that the welcome I had taken for granted my whole life still applied to the person I am and the family I have today. The “What we believe” sections were vague. So I tried a reverse approach, since it has the kind of graphic design and web presence that suggest affiliation to bigger, well-endowed networks. Google pointed me to a UK organisation called the Evangelical Alliance. I typed my postcode into its “Find a church” tool and the first result was our Christingle church.

In the EA’s news archive, I found a press release about the importance of rejecting Gender Recognition Act reform, a process that was aimed at making the lives of trans adults less bureaucratic. There were pieces about why “gay cakes” are a threat to free speech and then there was a video.

It started off very gently and compassionately, talking about “inclusion” and “understanding”. Just as I started to feel reassured, the presenter began describing “transgender” as “confused” and an “ideological movement”. He talked ominously about genitalia and so-called spectrums, and questioned whether, if a trans person were to call a church to ask about gender-neutral toilet provision, it might well be “a coordinated effort to catch the church out”. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/dec/16/i-used-to-love-christingle-until-i-discovered-what-my-church-thought-of-trans-people

@MondayYogurt

Start their own church then. They can have a nativity scene with all the wise people and sheep bickering over what sex to assign baby Jesus, while Mary gets ignored.

It's not really an 'English thing'! We do it in our Ecumenical church here in Scotland. There are no cloves involved (think some are getting confused with a mulled wine recipe!).
The orange represents the earth. The red ribbon represents the blood of Christ. The four cocktail sticks with their load of sweets or raisins represents the four seasons with their harvest, and the candle in the middle when lit represents the light of God.
It is sung to the tune of 'The Holly and the Ivy' for each verse as the Christingle is built. At the end the lights are switched off and everyone lights their Christingle.
It is really a lovely service.

I thought the author of that piece had lost the legal right to be named as the father of the child, given he was the child's biological and birth mother.
(If you can understand any of that - trying to use the right words here)

To be honest, I just switch off when this particular journo starts pontificating - they have turned themselves into a caricature.

Tartan Lassie, wasn't Madame Pomander one of the mistresses of Louis Quatorze, or am I in a muddle? Didn't she have cocktail sticks threaded with dolly mixtures in her amazing hairdo?

@krustykittens

To be honest, I just switch off when this particular journo starts pontificating - they have turned themselves into a caricature.

Oh, thanks. Stuck on 14 Down:

'Pontificating journalist?' (6).

Pulp-it.

Our local church didn’t bother with a Cristingle, just a plain white candle stuck through a circular bit of card to stop the wax dripping on your hand. Very puritanical, compared to the orange and raisins church the next village over.

The best bit of the candle service, to my mind, was always the vicar’s instructions on what to do should any of the congregation go up in flames.

For most of my childhood my fantasy heroism involved rolling a burning chorister in my best anorak to an organ music soundtrack.

Perhaps Freddy could just get a candle and an orange and approximate a Cristingle at home, where Freddy is better protected from the offensive religious beliefs of others? All that stuff about the Christchild and his specially selected Holy Mother (and the Glorious Almighty Invisible Sperm Donor who made the Immaculate Conception a thing) might be a bit triggering?

Any round fruit and a torch would do in a pinch. Just need to add some magical thinking. Could even use lentils. I bet Deal is full of lentil suppliers.

Some of these Christingle items sound a bit Blue Peter.

"and here's an offended non-binary person I prepared earlier...".

"Oooo talking about Right Wing Religious prejudice is the latest trans trend I must board the bandwagon of and connect to every ridicilous aspect of life I can possibly think of. In no way does this smack of reading far too much American based shit on the internet and living a life so priviledged to be detatched from reality. How can I show my oppression in the latest fashion? Write I know I'm write a load of waffle about it for the Guardian really earnestly and sincerely and lots of outraged from Didsbury will all want to give me attention. And it will generate lots of click bait income for the newspaper."

Google image search throws up some very decadent looking Cristingles.

This sad tin foiled one is closer to reality.

Great thread - a mix of piss-take and proper information :)

I notice that Freddy is now bylined as Fred.

I also notice that Fred has made the whole flippin thing about Fred, and what Fred wants to happen at Xmas.

I don't think there is anything especially wrong with rocking up at a church for the entertainment value, as long as you're not drunk or expecting something the church cannot provide like a poetry slam or an ice dance or a rap contest or an all-U-can-eat-Buffet .... or an express validation of your particular beliefs.

There are almost as many varieties of church as there are genders, so it shouldn't be hard to find one which fits the bill.

I got 2 pages in before I realised Cristingle is not Kris Kingle. Was very confused by the oranges.

Extract:

Its acceptance of us would always be reliant on my and – it pains me to even write – my child’s acceptance of some innate shame.

If Fred thinks the happy clappers are too shame-y, Fred needs to check out the (whispers) Catholics.
All babies are born sinners, Fred.
That’s why they get baptised.

"I used to love the Conservative party bring and buy sales, but last year was the first time that I felt I could not buy a coffee and walnut cake because it became clear to me that these people might be Tories".

Ah, a lovely seasonal tale of two irrational dogmas, some weirdly decorated fruit, and a chance of a nice warm blaze...

I'm just shocked by the heretical idea that Dolly Mixtures are god's creations, I'm sure they're Bassett's

Who thinks Fred walked into that Church with an open mind and not looking for the slightest thing to 'prove transphobia' and validate Fred oppression?

Cos Fred is all about accepting people for who they are.

Thanks for your post nickymanchester , theres feck all there to be offended by, if you're approaching in good faith.

@ErrolTheDragon

Ah, a lovely seasonal tale of two irrational dogmas, some weirdly decorated fruit, and a chance of a nice warm blaze...

I'm just shocked by the heretical idea that Dolly Mixtures are god's creations, I'm sure they're Bassett's

The standout for me is the sense of entitlement in expecting a church that you only visit once a year due to nostalgia to accommodate a fervent belief for your own doctrine...

The determination to "prove" transphobia through "research" having not experienced any is just bizarre.

If they'd gone to Christingle nothing would have happened apart from a nice time - but that doesn't seem worthy of a column does it?

@ErrolTheDragon

Ah, a lovely seasonal tale of two irrational dogmas, some weirdly decorated fruit, and a chance of a nice warm blaze...

I'm just shocked by the heretical idea that Dolly Mixtures are god's creations, I'm sure they're Bassett's

For ages I was under the impression that if I asked for "all boys" when I ordered 4 oz. of Jelly Babies, I'd get penies for my pennies. Of course, it didn't work out that way, since they were sold by weight. Mind you, aren't Jelly Babies asexual, poss. non-binary? Are churces skewering them with-get this-cocktail sticks, to symbolise what they want to do to (ahem) real non-binary people?

Still, at least Freddy isn't personally offended by the whole Christmas story, what with the idea that even god couldn't magic up a son without a mother.

The story that the journey to Bethlehem was due to a census being undertaked raises another set of problems.

Gender of child?
Sex of child?
Father's name?

Aw come on! Don't you know ?

EVERY THING IS TRANSPHOBIC!

You can definitely have an all you can eat buffet in church. (Often with a lot of quiche.)

I was hoping to find a message of inclusivity, something to reassure me that the welcome I had taken for granted my whole life still applied to the person I am and the family I have today.

How bloody self centred. Why on earth would anyone expect something like this really?!

A trans 2 year old??

Most kids that age literally do not know their own or other peoples anatomical sex, what genitals they or others have, let alone the sociological definition of gender / gender stereotypes

What is wrong with people.