Friday, January 18, 2008

Hail to the (Drama) Queen!

I actually went and looked it up:
.

drama queen
Function: noun
.
: a person given to often excessively emotional performances or reactions





The inspiration for my little foray into Merriam Webster land? The weekly email newsletter from the AAC (American Anglican Council) ... which included this Message from Bishop [David] Anderson ... which included this nominee-for-drama-queen-of-the-week worthy quote (in reference to Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori's disciplinary actions against the schismatic bishops of San Joaquin and Pittsburgh):

In her inner councils she was laying the fire not only for John-David, but also for Robert William Duncan, bishop of Pittsburgh. Her intention seemed to be to make a Ridley and a Latimer of them.


A Ridley and a Latimer of them???? He's got to be kidding!

Duncan & Schofield have decided to shake the dust of the Episcopal Church off their feet and are trying to make it out of town with the silver and property deeds in their pockets.

Ridley & Latimer (you'll remember from Church History 101) were burned at the stake for refusing to return to Rome when Roman Catholic Mary I succeeded her Protestant-leaning brother Edward VI.

Sorry, David. Not EVEN close. You can't work, pray, fundraise, politic and network in order to pull off a schism hoping to create a church that suits you better than the one you're leaving and then cry "victim" when you're nailed on taking stuff that doesn't belong to you as you head out the door.

Ridley & Latimer were martyrs. Duncan & Schofield are perpetrators. .

So HERE'S the part where we all say together:
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HAIL TO THE QUEEN!
.


.... as we present our Drama Queen of the Week award to:
.
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President & CEO
American Anglican Council
.

14 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank you for the definition and today's drama central news out of the AAC. Tomorrow is the Big Day in Albany as we welcome Bonnie Anderson and Diocesan Bishop Love to an afternoon of eucharist, presentation, Q and A and evening prayers. Even the local newspaper has a long article about the event! May God send the Holy Spirit to be our drama and grant us ALL the ability to wear our crowns whatever they may signify in this life and in the life to come.

Jim Costich said...

I absolutely adore the little red & white Drama Queen illustration! Where ever did you find that? And the crown is tres' chic. You get 100 pts. for illustration!

A few thoughts on "They Who Must be the Center of Attention": AAC sounds like a cat trying to hack up a fur ball and that does fit the American Anglican Council. They can't stand women in the pulpit (hack), or GLBT people in the pulpit (hack), (or church, or anywhere within 40 acres of the church, and they can't stand straight people who call GLBT people friend and neighbor (hack) and that is a whole lot of AAC, or Ick. As it were.

I'm reminded of last year's Pride parade in Rochester, NY. My partner and I were on the Rochester Gay Men's Chorus float and as we passed by the Kristyan protestors my partner held up a sign with scripture on it saying, "Love thy neighbor." A Kristyan screamed at him, "Who do you think you are?" and he yelled back, "I'm your neighbor!"

I'd love to know what the Kristyans yelled at Bishop McKelvey who marched at the front of the parade along with Dignity/Integrity, the UCC, Lake Ave. Baptist, Third Presbyterian, Open Arms MCC, Tawa Pano, the Unitarians, the Universalists....I forget all of them - the religious organizations/congregations in this city make up the first 1/3 of the parade.

One important thing to remember about Drama Queens (Gay men are the originators of this term so I can claim this with impunity)is that they are ALWAYS much ado about nothing. In this case they hope to keep everyone in a lather while they scuttle out the back door with the silver. Time to call out the guard dogs.

Cindy - Fort Worth said...

Susan,you are the best!
As you know, here in Fort Worth, we have our very own Drama Queen contender. I'm certain he will qualify for the crown sometime soon!

JimB said...

I dunno, have you seen Dr. Virtue's write up? It may be a bit less dramatic in one sense, but it is more fictional. But then I think Rev. Anderson does look good with the tiara!

FWIW
jimB

Lindy said...

That crown is WAY too good for David Anderson. He strikes me as less of a drama queen and more of a comedy writer. In fact, if the writer's strike continues he might try his hand at writing stand-up. I'm laughing at him already.

OlderManOfTheSea said...

Hey, if Jim Flagler would post his darn e mail address maybe his friends down here in the Big Apple could get in better touch with him than just saying " Amen " ( or ahem ! ) to his posts.

I would compare the ACC's drama to Equus but it would only be one part of the horse.

Hal Weiner
easy to find
hard to take
Convenor, St. Saviour Chapter
Episcopal Peace Fellowship
Founding General Counsel
GAY ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE INC.

Tobias Stanislas Haller BSG said...

Yes... though a tiara is a symbol of adornment rather than rank (except for the Pope). For someone with the Rank of Drama Queen a true Crown would be much more appropriate in this context. Might I suggest, given the international ambitions of the AAC, that an Imperial model might not be too outré? Something at once modest and yet indicative. I'm thinking of the Crown Imperial worn by Victoria as Empress of India. Ever so rakishly tilted to one side. Yes, that's Anderson to a T.

Paul said...

It seems to have escaped him that analogies need some reasonable basis of comparison. Trying to make grand theft church look like firmness of conviction and comparing discipline with burning at the stake is, well, over the top. The crown was well-earned and it is especially gracious of you to award it. Suits him better than the mitre does.

SUSAN RUSSELL said...

I changed the crown ... turns out the tiara was an Eastern Star crown and this one seemed ... well .. more along the lines of what Tobias was suggesting.

ad said...

Thanks for telling us who R & L were. Now Anderson's comments really seem out of line.

Tobias Stanislas Haller BSG said...

So much better. My Grandmother was Order of the Eastern Star -- I may even somewhere have her old combo BCP/KJV. I'm happy to say that her parish in Baltimore (Messiah Hamilton), where I was baptized, is now among the most inclusive. Praise God!

SUSAN RUSSELL said...

Note from Hal Weiner: Hal asks me to note that on his earlier comment he MEANT to type AAC rather than ACC.

Duly noted.

HAWarren said...

Hail, indeed. Thank you for reminding us of the history. For two years I "read" for a theology degree at Oxford. My second year room was less than 100 yards from where L&R were burned at the stake. A yellow plus in the cobblestone road marks the spot. I saw that mark every morning for a year, and it reminded me of the great sacrifice it cost these men NOT TO LEAVE to CoE. The parallel with these men and the GLBT's of the Episcopal Church goes further. In the end L&R's bodies were violated, being burned at the stake. The ACC would have our bodies violated, too, either by being celebate when we GLBT's are not called to celebacy or by being in heterosexual physical relationships, the pain of which is horrible (been there, done that). The ACC has no idea of what true drama is. Oh, surprise...

OlderManOfTheSea said...

A crown of thorns would be more appropriate, except better people than he wore them..... in His time.