What occurs when drag-queen tradition meets the Christmas Wars? Take a guess … — GetReligion

Simply the opposite day, somebody tweeted out a problem asking readers to share, in 5 phrases or much less, one thing that will annoy die-hard Texans. As a prodigal Texan, I responded: “Austin, Austin, Austin, Austin, Austin.”

You see, the Individuals’s Republic of Austin — I heard that label within the Nineteen Seventies — is situated inside Texas and it’s even the capital of Texas, nevertheless it has lengthy been deep-blue city zip code (there are actually others) in a relatively crimson state.

This creates tensions. Which brings us to that attention-grabbing Christmas Wars headline the opposite day in The Washington Publish: “A Texas culture clash: Dueling parades over the meaning of Christmas,” which was the hook for this week’s “Crossroads” podcast (CLICK HERE to tune that in).

Let me supply a little bit of “Christmas Wars” background. For many years, essentially the most highly effective establishments in American life — authorities, mass media, public colleges, purchasing malls, and so forth. — have argued about what sort of language and symbolism can be utilized throughout the cultural tsunami generally known as The Holidays. As one Baptist progressive said long ago, folks might need to play it secure and say, “Merry Christmas, Glad Hanukkah, and a Joyous Kwanzaa, Martyrdom Day of Guru Tegh Bahadur, Bodhi Day, Maunajiyaras Day, Starting of Masa’il, Nisf Sha’ban and Yalda Night time, Yuletide and Shinto Winter Solstice, and Ramadan! Or, joyful holidays!”

However there’s a severe church-state problem looming within the background: Is spiritual speech and symbolism a uniquely harmful pressure in public life? In sensible phrases, can public establishments — particularly if there are tax {dollars} concerned — let “Christmas be Christmas.”

Unusual issues have occurred in these debates, reminiscent of some (repeat “SOME”) spiritual and cultural conservatives celebrating when, let’s say, Menorahs and even Nativity scenes are acceptable since they’ve grow to be “secular” symbols that not have offensive spiritual content material. That’s a win for faith?

With that in thoughts, let’s have a look at the overture of this Washington Publish story, about Christmas Wars in larger Austin:

TAYLOR, Tex. — The difficulty began eventually 12 months’s Christmas parade, when college students from St. Mary’s Catholic Faculty watched as two drag queens aboard the primary Taylor Satisfaction float danced and lip synced to Christmas carols beneath a glittering rainbow arch.

Afterward, a St. Mary’s priest complained to the Rev. Jeff Ripple, an evangelical pastor on the ministers’ alliance that ran the annual parade with town. Forward of this 12 months’s parade, Ripple’s group modified the parade’s entry guidelines, requiring that floats should “not battle with conventional and biblical household values.”

Now metropolis officers had been in a bind.

In Texas and different crimson states, Republican legislators who maintain majority management have more and more focused the homosexual group, significantly drag performances. Final month, a Texas lawmaker launched laws to criminally cost those that host drag reveals that permit minors, a part of a slate of proposed laws targeting LGBTQ Texans forward of the legislative session in January.

The phrase “focused” is the important thing right here, as we’ll see.

The hot button is that Taylor officers determined to have an official Vacation parade — protected with police automobiles — after which there could be one other parade for these spiritual individuals who wrestle to embrace trendy American life. This brings us to the abstract materials on this lengthy, lengthy, lengthy story:

Metropolis officers settled on a compromise: Pastors may nonetheless have their Christmas Parade of Lights on Saturday, however as an alternative of co-sponsoring it, town would maintain a second parade instantly afterward alongside the identical Primary Avenue route, the Very Merry Vacation Parade. It could be open to all.

As a substitute of quelling debate, the dueling parades divided Taylor, sparking a conflict on phrases on-line that grew much more pointed within the aftermath of the November assault on an LGBTQ membership in Colorado Springs. As Saturday’s parade day approached, strain grew to decide on sides over how you can outline inclusivity, Christianity and the spirit of Christmas.

It could be tempting to say that it is a battle between “secular” leaders and “spiritual” people.