Drag queen tops Christian music charts

[PotteringPondering]

https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/flamy-grant/drag-queen-flamy-grant-tops-the-itunes-christian-charts?fbclid=IwAR1QlsZDwwRdsfUBgxlQ3jA8P1Wd__y74mqSTZapqwQJTHporO8T9cBmxeE

A drag artist has topped the iTunes Christian charts. ‘Flamy Grant’ (a play on Christian singer Amy Grant) is the drag name of US worship leader Matthew Blake. His collaborator is Derek Webb, singer of the band Caedmon’s Call. The two join forces on another song, Boys Will Be Girls, where Webb is made up in drag inside a church (both videos in link).

The message of both songs is, of course, being who you really are, and Jesus standing with the marginalised.

It’s bizarre at so many levels, and the response in the US evangelical community is predictably outraged. I’m less concerned that this is a sign of end-times godlessness. My concern is that drag is ‘womanface’, a sexualised parody of women.

The journey from fundamentalism to drag isn’t the long one Flamy Grant thinks. Both peddle regressive stereotypes of women.

I'm not sure Jesus took on or imitated the lifestyles of the marginalised people he spent time with. But it's true that he criticised self righteous hypocrites.

Framing drag queens as 'marginalised' is a bit of a stretch. It seems like every tv show wants a part of the womanface action these days...suprised they're not presenting the Six O'Clock News.

(Could that be Huw Edwards' way back into the nation's hearts??)

@PotteringPondering My concern is that drag is ‘womanface’, a sexualised parody of women. I'm with you - I guess because it's progressive it's ok! 🙄

How Edwards lip synching the news to "like a Virgin" should do it.

I'm not a Christian, so correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he recognise that women are held to harsher standards than men? The story of the woman who may have committed adult and ' let those of you who are without sin throw the first stones'?

Even I know that Jesus totally repudiated hypocrisy and deception. But then many unchristian things have been done in Jesus's name over the past 2000 years.

The Bible is big on being happy with what you already have. Not coveting your neighbour's oxen seems to cover not coveting your wife's eyelashes. But if the song has hit so high on the charts, and the evangelical community rejects this individual, it begs the question of who is actually streaming the song? Is it a load of servers in China like when Gangnam Style did so well?

Having listened to both songs, as a song the first one Good Day? is a decent enough song. The second boys will be girls? one not so much. (? Not completely sure i got the song names right)

I can understand why people would buy good days if they'd heard it on the radio.

Interesting question – who is buying it? I suspect a combination of:

• 'Inclusive' and post-evangelical Christians (Derek Webb is a bit of a figurehead in those circles).
• Drag and wider gay community, the sort of people who made Tammy Faye Bakker a gay icon and like to see the queering of Christian themes.
• General audience who like a hummable song that has an empowerment, 'just be yourself' kind of message.

We assume that a Christian lifestyle is at odds with Gender ideology but that view may be misplaced. Iran and Pakistan which have very religious laws are high for gender transition, homophobia is linked to some transition and more acceptable in some cases. They also both reinforce sexist gender stereotypes.
A new wave of young activists may capture the church, other institutions have fallen prey to it.

Yes. And it's not so much a 'may', more a definitely already happening. And not just young activists: in my experience, it's older church leaders buying into it.

Last year you may remember there was an open letter from Rowan Williams, Steve Chalke and other church leaders describing transition as 'a sacred journey'. That attracted lots of support in UK churches. The Inclusive Church umbrella has happily accommodated gender ideology without question.

"Being who you really are" with all those wigs & makeup that readily exist in nature... oh, wait...

Could it just be people hearing the song and buying/ listening to it without realising it's a drag queen singing?

Could well be! You a Wiganer, SP?

Afraid not. Different Scholes, West Yorks, albeit I no longer live there.

I don't think you have to be a Christian to listen to something that is on the Christian music charts. It could be anyone streaming that stuff. Just like lots of old rockers these days are listening to country music.