LGBT Q&A for #PrideMonth: It's A Sin actor Nathaniel Hall & Steven Hilton from Manchester Cathedral
JUNE is Pride Month, marking the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York in June 1969, which raised the profile of the LGBT+ rights movement worldwide.
Nathaniel’s story is also his mother’s story. It is a story about their relationship with each other, about Nat’s feelings about himself, about Chris’s feelings and a little about her church. Thisshort film invites us to reflect upon our own assumptions, prejudices and experiences about the issues raised. [7 mins]
Following the format of our Q&As with our Patrons in recent months, this month we spoke to Nathaniel Hall, a theatre-maker, actor, writer and HIV activist from Manchester.
If you missed our Q&A webinar with Nathaniel Hall on Thursday 17th June 2021, or want to watch it again, now you can catch up below or on our YouTube channel (57 mins). This Q&A video includes British Sign Language interpretation, thanks to Karl Llorca.
In 2019, Nathaniel Hall’s award-winning autobiographical solo-show, about his life living with HIV after diagnosis just aged 16, took the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by storm with audience and critical acclaim in equal measure. In 2021, Nathaniel appeared as Donald Bassett in It's a Sin, Channel 4's hit drama written by Russell T Davies about the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on gay men in 1980s Britain. Now Nathaniel is campaigning for a future where other people living with HIV can live openly, boldly and with pride.
Nathaniel was in conversation with Steve Hilton, Assistant Curate at Manchester Cathedral. Steve wrote his MTh thesis on the lived experiences of gay men living with HIV wherein themes of stigma, shame, growth, community, vulnerability and rejection all emerged. Steve says,
“The Church needs to hear the voices speaking loudly to it from It’s A Sin - we have much work to do. The Church’s role in fostering toxic shame (itself a culture where abuse thrives) simply cannot be ignored. We must now act to become a community where dignity is restored by the sharing of, and listening to, these stories and experiences. We need to hear Nathaniel’s message to the Church.”
Nathaniel answered a wide range of questions, including:
How hard do you think it is today to stay positive in a negative world?
What was it like as a gay young adult in your church?
What was your life like before It’s A Sin?
You describe being diagnosed HIV+ as ‘living with so much fear and stigma, self-hatred and shame.’ Did those feelings seem to arrive all at once, or did they grow over time?
Has the Church helped to relieve or reinforce feelings of shame and fear for HIV+ people?
HIV remains highly stigmatizing and shame-inducing. Your play and book and ‘It’s A Sin’ have tapped into the phenomenon of shame for many people . Why do you think that is? Are we living with more shame than ever?
How do you experience shame? What does it feel like?
Shame can be understood as the emotional response to stigma. Does that make sense to you?
What’s the difference between shame and guilt?
You describe a moment in 2017, having been awake for two days, that you notice yourself in the mirror. Can you describe that moment of realisation? And how do you understand it now as your journey into greater self-love and personal growth?
What can we do with shame?
What do you think us Christians, and the church itself, might do to help improve the lives of HIV+ people?
Do you get struck now with feelings of shame? How do you deal with it?
Where did you find your strength for the 15 years you told no one about your HIV status?
Are you proud of the person you have become?
Has acting helped you to overcome your shame?
What advice would you give to make the Church truly loving and inclusive?
What’s next for Nathaniel Hall?
What would you like to say to the Church?
