Former gay activist battles megaphone protest at Sydney University

May 4, 2016 by

By Anne Lim, Bible Society:

About 100 students provided a rowdy backdrop to a lunchtime talk by former gay activist-turned-Christian family man James Parker at the Sydney University campus today.

The protesters from various groups on campus attempted to disrupt the meeting, held by Sydney University Catholic Society as part of a weeklong series of events on issues concerning life and the human condition. The events come in the same week that the Sydney University Union (USU) backed down on removing faith-based membership clauses for religious societies, including the Catholic Society. The USU Board, in a statement, said it was proposing the establishment of an ongoing “Faith Roundtable” to promote greater interfaith and intercultural understanding.

Constant heckling, catcalls and booming megaphone speeches failed to silence Parker, who insisted he loved his brothers and sisters outside the tent just as much as the audience inside the tent.

“It’s not us and them – we’re all in this together,” he declared.

Many protesters sat on a rainbow flag or carried banners saying “Homophobia kills” as Packer told his story of how he had left an out-and-proud gay lifestyle after Jesus “shed his light into my deepest darkness” and answered a deeper call within him.

Parker had been happily living with his “Mr Right”, Steve, when he made a commitment to Jesus Christ.

After noticing the change in his partner, Steve also went along to church and was “deeply touched by the word of God”. They became the model Christian gay couple, but “slowly and surely another man got my heart,” Parker said.

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