An LGBT nightclub in a historic Sydney church has been forced to close a week after Christians held a peaceful “anti-blasphemy” protest on its opening night.
About 100 mainly Catholic demonstrators prayed, sang hymns and held a flag saying “Jesus is King” outside the venue on Kent Street last Wednesday, to express their opposition to the venue’s mocking of their faith with its Christian-themed performance art events and a planned live exorcism.
Divine Playhouse, which changed its name from Unholy Playhouse at the last minute in response to complaints about the mockery of Christianity, has now been told by its landlord to “cease carrying on offensive trade” or face eviction from the 158-year-old deconsecrated Catholic church.
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Lawyer for the landlords warned organisers in a breach notice that Divine Playhouse, which received $100,000 from the NSW government, “insulted and mocked the sincerely held religious beliefs of millions of Christian Australians”, The Guardian reported.
Organisers responded in a post on Instagram on Wednesday, and said they had been “forced to close the venue and postpone events for now, while we explore our legal options regarding the future of the venue”.
Divine Playhouse’s opening event was called The First Rite and featured bearded men dressed up as nuns and wearing sexualised pig angel suits, and was followed the next night by a comedy show called Two Queers Walk Into A Bar, with “Australia’s first-ever live, full-scale exorcism” planned for October.
Premier Chris Minns said earlier in the week that the grant application was being investigated, and that it was “hard to believe” that the former St John’s Church was the best location for the nightclub, but the opening night was attended by Arts Minister John Graham and Sydney councillor Jess Miller.
A spokesperson for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney said the former church “holds a strong Catholic history, and to see it used for direct mockery of our beliefs – events built around the resurrection and purgatory – is genuinely hurtful to our community”.
“We’d simply ask the NSW Government to apply the same standard to all faiths. If mockery of another religion’s beliefs wouldn’t receive public funding, that’s a double standard worth explaining. Ultimately, decisions on individual grants are for the Government to make and justify,” they said.
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Two groups which participated in last week’s protest, The Prodigal Sons and Fit for the Kingdom, are planning to return on Friday for another peaceful demonstration.
“We are not gathering to threaten, abuse or fight anyone,” The Prodigal Sons said on Instagram.
“We are gathering to pray, defend the dignity of the Christian faith and plant seeds of truth in the hearts and minds of those who are confused.
“There must be no violence, threats, provocation or instigation. Anyone attempting to cause disorder will be dealt with by NSW Police.”
Header image: Left, scenes from the Divine Playhouse opening night (Divine Playhouse – Instagram). Right, men dressed as nuns inside the venue (Lewis Anderson – Instagram).
