Last Updated on January 13, 2024 by Kittredge Cherry
A Brazilian comedy on Netflix about a gay Jesus is under attack, with the offices of its creators firebombed on Christmas Eve. An online petition to shut down the show got more than 2 million signatures.
“I condemn this act of violence and support the right to portray a queer Christ,” said Q Spirit founder Kittredge Cherry.
A man from a far-right ultra-nationalist group claimed responsibility for firebombing the Rio de Janeiro offices of Porta dos Fundos, accusing them of blasphemy for portraying a gay Jesus. Nobody was injured and police are investigating.
The Portuguese-language Christmas special “The First Temptation of Christ” (A Premeira Tentacao de Cristo) depicts a gay Jesus coming home for his 30th birthday after 40 days in the desert. Jesus introduces his flamboyant boyfriend Orlando to his family. The show aims at humor in the style of Monty Python.
“The petition blames the film for offending Christians, but I am a Christian who is offended when conservatives resort to violence to censor LGBTQ versions of Jesus,” Cherry said.
For more than a decade Cherry has been accused of blasphemy for presenting a gay Jesus in her books and blog, especially “The Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision” book and blog series and the Rainbow Christ Prayer.
“Comedies about Jesus are not my personal favorite,” Cherry added. “But I refuse to concede Jesus to those who act like they own the copyright on Christ, then use him as a weapon to dominate others. The queer Christ is necessary because conservatives are using Christian rhetoric to justify hate and discrimination against LGBTQ people.”
The controversy over the Brazilian gay Jesus comedy got massive international news coverage, including:
In Brazil, Firebombs Seek to Terrorize Makers of Film Portraying Jesus as Gay (New York Times)
The Comedy Group That Made Brazil’s ‘Gay Jesus’ Show Was Firebombed (Vice.com)
Gay Jesus Netflix special creators suffer Molotov cocktail attack (NBC News)
Rio police ID suspect in attack on Netflix gay Jesus filmmakers (NBC News)
No ‘gay Jesus’ allowed: Brazilian judge orders controversial comedy special taken off air (New York Daily News)
Brazil: Netflix ‘gay Jesus’ parody film ban overturned (BBC)
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Related link:
Famed Jesuit priest James Martin tweets gay Jesus art — and upsets alt-right media (Q Spirit)
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Top image credit:
A promotional image for the gay Jesus film “The First Temptation of Christ” on Netflix
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