Thank you for posting this Davina.  Mark Gatiss is a lovely man and a wonderful actor and I admire his frankness in this interview.  It's amazing how someone so intelligent (and now so successful) revealed how insecure and angst ridden his childhood was.  Pretty much like all of us I guess. It's a wonder children actually grow up and become functioning adults considering all the damage society and adults have the potential to do to them.

I'm very glad Mark had a "Sherlock" vision brought to life on the screen and very glad he has given us the character of Mycroft so brilliantly brought to life by his flawless acting.  I for one adore him!

Sentimental Pulse wrote:

How wonderful that there is gender neutral marriage in London so he could commit fully to his partner. Take a hint America.

I know Sentimental!! We're working on it but what a battle. Just wish the anti-gay Fundamentalists and homophobes would open themselves up to reason and reality. I live in the great state of Massachusetts which did pass gay marriage. I'm not a liberal in every area of my thinking (more a political middle of the road moderate) but I am on this topic. Happy to hear about Britain too.

KeepersPrice wrote:

Sentimental Pulse wrote:

How wonderful that there is gender neutral marriage in London so he could commit fully to his partner. Take a hint America.

I know Sentimental!! We're working on it but what a battle. Just wish the anti-gay Fundamentalists and homophobes would open themselves up to reason and reality. I live in the great state of Massachusetts which did pass gay marriage. I'm not a liberal in every area of my thinking (more a political middle of the road moderate) but I am on this topic. Happy to hear about Britain too.

KP, amen! Don't get me started on American Politics. I am so appalled at these right wing extremists' attack on women, minorities, GLBT movement and working people, I could scream!!!!!!

Fellow Sherlockians,

Judging from what I've read on the forum recently, I suppose this post will likely put me out of favor with most here. But, I feel an obligation, since others have broached the topic, to defend my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

It is sad that those of us who still believe that God is the ultimate authority in all matters of rule and practice are condemned as "homophobes" and "right-wing fanatics" when we acknowledge that there are absolutes, and that all forms of sexual deviation from the creation norm dishonor the living God.

I don't hate gay people anymore than I would hate a man who had sexual relations with his sister or with an animal. Nor do I stand in judgement over others regarding their lifestyle choices. But I do believe the Bible is to guide those choices, and thus I cannot support gay marriage, civil unions, or any other societal acceptance of what God has called unholy. That doesn't make me better than anyone else; we're all sinners, and we all displease God in various ways.

I was beginning to feel like my silence might be interpreted as support for things I cannot support. I hope my posting here can be seen in that light, and not as an attack on any of my Sherlockian friends. I don't want this site to become political (I, too, despise politicians, no matter what their affiliation.). I likely won't post further on this topic, but am happy to pm with anyone who would like to discuss what I've said, cuss me, or otherwise respond.

Thank you for listening.

-T

Tantalus wrote:

Fellow Sherlockians,

Judging from what I've read on the forum recently, I suppose this post will likely put me out of favor with most here. But, I feel an obligation, since others have broached the topic, to defend my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

It is sad that those of us who still believe that God is the ultimate authority in all matters of rule and practice are condemned as "homophobes" and "right-wing fanatics" when we acknowledge that there are absolutes, and that all forms of sexual deviation from the creation norm dishonor the living God.

I don't hate gay people anymore than I would hate a man who had sexual relations with his sister or with an animal. Nor do I stand in judgement over others regarding their lifestyle choices. But I do believe the Bible is to guide those choices, and thus I cannot support gay marriage, civil unions, or any other societal acceptance of what God has called unholy. That doesn't make me better than anyone else; we're all sinners, and we all displease God in various ways.

I was beginning to feel like my silence might be interpreted as support for things I cannot support. I hope my posting here can be seen in that light, and not as an attack on any of my Sherlockian friends. I don't want this site to become political (I, too, despise politicians, no matter what their affiliation.). I likely won't post further on this topic, but am happy to pm with anyone who would like to discuss what I've said, cuss me, or otherwise respond.

Thank you for listening.

-T

Tantalus, I appreciate the courage it takes to stand up alone against a majority you feel sure opposes your heartfelt beliefs. I respect you for doing that in a venue where you feel you may be in the minority. As I have said elsewhere I am transsexual. I know what it is like to stand up alone against society, family, and friends and yes even religious teachings in some of the stricter christian sects. Fortunately my Lutheran Sect takes a more loving and inclusive view.

I was born a woman. My self identity, my brain, my heart, my emotions have always known that.  Medical science today mostly supports that view. God knows it too because he made me that way. Just as he made gay people the way they are. He does not make mistakes. In the plant kingdom and animal kingdom we marvel at all the varieties and nuances of His wonderful creations. Only in the human species has society continually viewed variety as threatening to the status quo.

I understand why you do not want your religious views to unfairly brand you as a bigoted right winger. I have no reason to assume that you are. I feel the same way when my ultra cynical progressive friends tell me there is no such thing as real Christians. They see religious fundamentalists on TV rail against the sin of two loving albeit gay people being together. Then they see the same fundamentalists support political candidates that strip programs for the poor, oppose fair wages for working families, oppose education, oppose health care for all, support guns and wars.They wonder how any of that jives with the teachings of Christ. They do not see a lot of WWJD? in these people.

Anyway that is my view.

Hello Tantalus,
my respect for your courage to write so openly about you deep-felt religious views which I do not share but of course accept. There is just one thing that I never understood and do not understand to this very day: If you believe that God created all beings then he created as well gay people. And if God created everyone and everything with a reason being gay can be no sin and it cannot be held against the person. For me rejecting people because of their sexual orientation would be like doubting God's decisions. But that is just the personal opinion of a retired Christian (as Peter O'Toole put it once).

kazza474 wrote:

How dreadfully bothersome for Mark; the article touches on pieces of his life & soon enough a debate on same sex marriage breaks out!

Very humourous however, having 2 threads which touch on interpretations of a book and the differing views that result.

Yes bigotry and injustice is very humorous, kazza

Maybe, Kazza, but people use the book to justify bigotry and hatred. People are still killed today for having the 'wrong' religious or political beliefs. In the words of the late Rodney King, "Can we all just get along?"

I've never had a standing ovation before, I feel quite humble (seriously). This is an issue close to my heart, not because of my sexuality, after all I am going to marry either Benny or Martin one day (sorry, Amanda). I have Aspergers Syndrome, which is on the Autism Spectrum scale and so I see the world differently to a lot of people and sometimes act in a way that Sherlock would be familiar with, for example, lack of social skills and trouble reading body language. As such, I have often been treated as an oddball and weirdo, even within my own family, so I identify with 'outsiders' like yourself (hope you don't mind me using that term).  We all are peculiar in our own ways and need to accept each other as such. 

Oh, Janine, you are too sweet! But how did we wander so far away from the original topic of darling Mr Gatiss? Just another day on the Sherlock boards.