What we mean by more than > equal = OTN national gathering theme

TEXT: more than EQUAL. Behind are two brightly coloured chevrons echoing the mathematical 'more than sign' and the 'fast forward' symbol used in audio visual technology. In the background is the Progress Pride flag as a sign that we want everyone to feel more than welcome! Read more about the Progress Pride flag on the national gathering event page.

The Open Table Network’s 2023 national gathering is called ‘More than Equal’.

OTN trustee Roo Stewart explains more about what we mean by that.

LGBTQIA+ people have been campaigning to recognised as equal and be treated equally for a long time.

We have faced barriers to equal access to employment, healthcare, marriage, adopting children, and more. In 2023, 67 states around the world criminalise LGBT+ people, including 11 where we may face a death sentence (Source: Human Dignity Trust).

Life in the UK has come a long way for LGBTQIA+ people, but the work is by no means complete. Some faith groups are still hostile towards LGBTQIA+ equality, but there is growing acceptance, despite there being a long way to go.

So why this talk of being ‘More than Equal’? Is the Open Table Network suggesting that some of us are ‘more equal than others’, as the pigs of Orwell’s Animal Farm claim? Isn’t it enough to be treated as equals and stop asking for more? And didn’t Jesus warn against arrogance and pride and encourage humility?

You might have come across these images before:

Interaction Institute for Social Change | Artist: Angus Maguire | Reproduced with permission

Please take a moment to look at the differences between the two sides of the image and let them sink in. Equality (treating people the same) does not necessarily mean that everyone will have the same experience. For justice to happen, we need true fairness, which doesn’t mean sameness.

Now, there are flaws with an image such as this. Perhaps a better illustration would feature an inclined standing area and three people of the same height facing the same issue. This emphasises that it is the environment in which we are placed which limits fairness, rather than what each person brings. But the solution is much the same: to gain justice, those whose view is blocked are given more support until they have the same opportunity as others or have space to stand where they can be successful.

The best solution of all might be to remove the solid fence panels completely – that’s liberation! Until that time comes, we are calling for equity.

LGBTQIA+ people have been treated unjustly for so long that we still bear the wounds and scars of generations of oppression. The mental health of LGBTQIA+ Christians is often deeply affected because of the toxicity of some church environments, and of societies that have been based upon unjust, anti-LGBTQIA+ beliefs. This is why the Open Table Network is answering a great need.

Yet LGBTQIA+ people are a gift to the Church and to the world, if only they were afforded the opportunity to show their true colours. For too long in human history, LGBTQIA+ Christians have been prevented from serving, growing and using the gifts they have been given to bless the Church.

Christians talk of the Church as being Christ’s body on Earth. We have this wonderful metaphor in chapter 12 of Pau’s first letter to the Corinthians in the New Testament. It’s always worth reading the whole chapter, but to highlight a few verses:

‘God has made the body so more care is given to the parts that need it most. This is so the body will not be divided into parts. All the parts care for each other. If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. If one part is given special care, the other parts are happy.’

- 1 Corinthians 12:24-26, New Living Translation

This is why we have named our Open Table Network 2023 national gathering ‘More than Equal’. We are making it clear that our expectation is that the rest of the Church needs to do more to care for LGBTQIA+ people - a part of the Church that surely needs it most - to begin to address countless years of pain and rejection.

We are not asking to be treated the same as everyone else in the Church - in some ways we are not the same! We are asking that we be treated fairly. We want to be given the opportunities we need to be a true gift to the Church and the support that will enable us to offer our whole being as a blessing to those around us.

We are inviting LGBTQIA+ Christians to join us to stand together against the injustices we have faced in our churches and in society. For those of us who have grown weary of pushing against injustice, the gathering is designed to encourage and empower us again.

Whatever your background or church experience, there is a place for you at our national gathering. It is your gathering. We would love you to come and be inspired with us.

Come and find kindred spirits. Come and be equipped for the next step of your journey to true equity.

READ MORE & REGISTER FREE for ‘More than Equal’, the Open Table Network 2023 national gathering on Saturday 10th June 2023 in Cambridge.