An Open Letter to Margaret Court

Dear Margaret,

It is with a heavy and aching heart that I write. But write, I must, I am compelled to, after your public decision to boycott an airline for bigoted reasoning, your doubling down that bigotry on national television, and now I see you trippling down with claims of ‘Tennis full of Lesbians’ and Transgender human persons being ‘all the devil’.

Margaret, let me say, right from the outset, that I believe you have lost the heart and soul of what it was that Jesus, whom you claim to represent, was actually all about. Your doubling down on your views and your claims of persecution and bullying are more akin to the pharisees and saducees than to Jesus.

I’ve just read this on Buzzfeed site, and I am truly appalled Margaret, at not just your bigotry but your sense of what good and evil are. Somehow Margaret, in your mind, a transgender person, simply for existing, is ‘all the devil’.

Wow, Margaret, I wonder how it is you reconcile Bible verses such as Micah 6:8 with such the stance you have taken. I wonder how boycotting an airline is in any way in line with loving kindness, doing justice and walking humbly before your God. I’m sorry Margaret, but it simply doesn’t square away.

If, by chance, Margaret, you read these words, Margaret, you may wonder who I am to say such things. Of course, Margaret, you have that right. I’m nobody much, just one of those ‘all the devil’ transgender people that have a moderate ability to string a few words together and make use of a social media platform here at Medium.

Of course, though, Margaret, I’m more than that. Much more. I’m a human being, and not ‘all the devil at all’. Let me tell you a little about me, Margaret. Let me share with you a little of my history with you.

I am, Margaret the product of what you say is the only valid expression of marriage. Born of a good Christian marriage. I hail, Margaret, from a long line of good Christian heritage. My mother, born as a child of a missionaries on mission at Roper River in the Northern Territory, she grew up with her parents, working as foster parents to indigenous boys in service of the organisation Bush Church Aid. My grandparents, were good people, they believed they were doing the right thing, encouraging assimilation of the indigenous.

My Grandmother, during her life of 90 plus years never ceased to desire to bring the love of God to all she came into contact with. My heritage Margaret, is dripping with Christian service.

But you know, Margaret, non of that made any difference to who I am. The fact that my family have a long linage of Christian service was not a factor in who I am, a transgender woman, and certainly not, ‘all the devil’.

You see Margaret, I call Jesus Lord also. Yes, Margaret, what you call ‘all the devil’ can in fact be your sister in the faith. But, Margaret, I sense you’ve lost sight of what it was our Lord was actually on about.

Margaret, I wonder, if you recall, what it was, the Jesus said when asked what the greatest commandment was? Do you recall that Margaret? Because I do, I will sumarise for you, essentially, Margaret, Jesus said to take all you have within you and, get it all together and use it to Love The Lord your God.

Of course, Margaret, Jesus didn’t stop there, though, did he Margaret, or have you forgotten. I would be surprised if you had Margaret, I mean, as you’re a pastor and all. No he didn’t stop there, did he Margaret, no he said love our neighbour as ourselves.

On this, Margaret, Jesus said, hang all the law and the prophets. So when it all comes down to it Margaret, in the mind of the man Jesus who walked those dusty streets of Palestine all those years ago, loving God and loving others.

Jesus, was pretty clear Margaret, he even made sure we could be clear about who our neighbour was. Do you remember the story Margaret, in our good churchy circles, we call it the parable of the good samaritan. You remember the Samaritans, don’t you Margaret? In case you don’t they were kind of the ancient equivalent of the LGBTQIA+ communities. They were the hated, the despised. They were the types people like you Margaret, have shown, would cross the street to avoid.

But if you recall Margaret, it was in fact ‘the good samaritan’ that Jesus used to show what it was to love your neighbour.

It’s not that difficult, you know Margaret, to see what Jesus was all about. He really was all about, treating people with dignity and respect as human persons. I mean, when the woman caught in adultery was brought before him for judgment, he showed compassion, he called on those accusers to examine themselves.

Oh, and Margaret, being reminded of your privilege is not the same as bullying and persecution. When the community you declare are not worthy of the same rights as you enjoy respond to you with criticism and counter argument, that’s not bullying Margaret, that’s actually called debate, argument, and sometimes it can even be a respectful dialogue.

But back to me Margaret, and my lovely Christian heritage. That heritage, Margaret, that heritage that should have ensured I grew up knowing I was loved by God, and his church, well, it didn’t quite happen that way Margaret. What actually happened, was that I was raped, bashed, thrown around and ridiculed by those good Christian parents.

You see, Margaret, humanity has this thing we call free will. It’s a bit of a tricky thing that free will. It places upon each and every one of us, the responsibility for our actions. So even though the actions of my parents against me would be more accurately described as ‘all the devil’ than my gender identity would be, it’s still wrong.

No Margaret, it’s not all of the devil, and you know what, Margaret, that Bible you keep trying touting as saying certain things, that you keep kind of trying to defend, you know what Margaret, it doesn’t need defending by you, it needs reading by you, because the clarity you claim is there when it comes to marriage equality, transgender issues and so on, you’re right, it really is clear. It’s clear that, crystal clear, from that very Bible you try to bash us over the head with, yes, crystal clear, Margaret, that who a person loves, is of far less consequence to God, than the quality and outworking of that love.

Margaret, the place of safety and sustenance for the stranger the widow and the orphan, was always assured under the law and the prophets of the Bible. And it was certainly reaffirmed in both the actions and words of Jesus, Margaret, but just in case, Margaret, let’s just remind ourselves of them again.

Jesus said, Margaret, to Love the Lord you God, with all of your heart and soul and mind, Margaret. Jesus said, Margaret, A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you, and that by this shall all people know you are my disciples.

And how did Jesus love Margaret? Well, I’ll give you a hint Margaret, it involved standing up for and not against those that where considered, undesirable, dirty, sick, evil and outside of faith. Jesus’ love Margaret, was not shown in avoiding those others, those outsiders, those undesirables, but in going in and eating in their homes, bringing them into the wedding banquet.

That was how Jesus showed his love, Margaret, remember, that love, Margaret, it cost him quite a lot, you do remember, Margaret, what it cost him don’t you. Just in case you don’t Margaret, I’ll give you a hint, it involved A Roman cross, iron spikes, whips, fists, and death.

Margaret, please, if you really want to show your allegiance for Jesus, please, show us your love, Margaret, show us your love instead of your hate and disdain.