I AM Gay and I Am Blessed. Drachma LGBT Group in Malta
Interview by Silvia Lanzi, 10 July 2011
Drachma, A Well Established Reality and an opportunity for the Maltese Gay Believers to Grow and Search, AS Its Rich and Complete blog shows.
Here you can Find Materials, Links and Reflection on Wide Range. In Order to Find Out More About the Group I Asked Clayton Few Questions. Here is what he answered me.
Why Did You Name Your Group "Drachma"?
This name ESTABLISED BEFORE I JOINED THE GROUP, But This Name Was Something Which Came Out Naturally During A Prayer Session Where The Group was reflecting on the parable of Luke 15: 8-10.
The Parable Speaks About Something Valuable Which Was Lost and then Found. Did You Also Feel Lost at Some Point?
Yes, Although I Never Had Renounded My Belief in God, I Was Searching for Answers and Means IDO I Shouldn'T. Drachma was the answer and the fuel which Kept My Belief Develop and Mature. How Did You Manage To Find Yourself? This Journey of Finding MySelf Started When I Saw the Poster About A Public Talk by James Alison on Being Gay and Catholic.
At the time (2007) I Did Not Know Who He Was But the Issue of Gay and Catholic Was Very Relevant. James Alison Inspired Me and Through Him I Got to Know What Drachma is all about. There My Journey Started.
Your Group is Catholic. A Journalist in Italy, Michele Serra, Recently Wrote an Article Where He Declared This This Want of Belonging to the Church, Despite Its Rejection, for Us Homosexuals Doesn'T Make Sense. What is your opinion on the Matter?
My Personal Opinion Is That The Group Should Not Only Be Catholic But Inter-Faith to Welcome Everyone. I AM Catholic Because i was Born in a country where it was not any questioned Why do we choose to be catholic.
Notwithstanding I have found many religious people with the catholic church living have taught me so much - they have alo also accepted my sexuality to the full and i did not see any form of rejection event in Life in Chastity.
I MySelf AM in an internal conflict at the Moment Wheer to Leave The Catholic Church to Join Another Christian Faith Which Takes An All-Welcoming position. Should I Continue 'Fighting' with the Hope That One Day the Catholic Church Wound Change Its views? I Believe that One Day Things Will Change, but it Will Require the Effort of a Group of People and Not Just An individual.
Your Blog Is Very Well Set Up and Full of Hints. Do you Think This Might Help The Reader to Get A Different Idea of Homosexuality from the Usual Stereotype?
Thanks for the compliment on the blog. I Really Hope That It Does Help The Reader to Get a Different Perspective. I do Wish that Someday We can have our website with a dedicated person Who can maintain it regularly so that we can also have an event visible space on the web.
Each Christian is a with the "good news". How has your belonging to drachma affected your life?
I have now to Clearer Idea of Who this Jesus is. It is not someone living on the clouds look at use from afar. He is among us and with us. We Just Have To Be Sensitive to What is Really Happening Around Us And There We Will Find Jesus. Sometimes It Requires Us To Do Things Which Sbartens Silly, or That Goes Against The Mainstream Idea - But Jesus was like that - He was Barely Orthodox in His Ways. He Had Always Surprised People With His Words and Actions.
Drachma has Also Allawed Me to Turn My Angers Towards The Official Position of the Catholic Church Into Love and Undersanding. Drachma Has Allawed Me To Be at Peace of My Sexuality and This Has Affected Positively My Place of Work, The Groups I Joined and the Friends I Am With.
And as a coupe?
If it Wasn'T for Drachma, I Don't Think Me and Christian (My Partner) would have met. It is Thanks to the People of Drachma that I decide one day to join them for a social events and there is Where I met Christian. The Main Topic of the Conversation with Christian Was Drachma and I Managed to Intrigue Him to Join the Group. A Few Days Later We Were in Love: p.
What Kind of Evidence Can You As A Christian Couple Give?
AS A A Couple We Have Many Times Asked Ourselves "Why Do We Choose to Be Christian?" and the Don't Think We Have Managed to Find The Answer Yet. But We do Believe that the Teachings of the Bible and the Reflexs that as Along With Has Helped US in Many Ways to Realise That We As A Coupe are not Condemned by God.
We are buoth doing our little part in Our Community - Through Our Jobs, Involvement in Voluntary Organizations, etc and we support Each Other On Many Issues. This has Helped US Develop and Become More mature in Our Partnership. We Also Believe in a Christian Outlook on Relationships, that is, to love one another Without Horming and Exploiting One Another and Think This Alone is a Witness of How Gay CoePles Can Be Gaven God's Blessing To Enter Into Loving Relationships.
Italian Translation: I am a blessed gay. On the way to Drachma, the group of Catholics GLBT of Malta
