Perhaps the Virgin Mary was sold out: An all-male nativity scene is sparking backlash in Colombia.
Andrés Vásquez and Felipe Cárdenas posted the “homosexual nativity scene”—where baby Jesus has two father Josephs and Virgin Mary is noticeably absent—to Facebook. Critics and Catholic Church members are calling the scene sacrilegious and disrespectful.
“As much as I support gay rights, this is just stupid on so many levels,” wrote a Facebook commenter. “If you are a Catholic you have to accept Jesus’ parents were Mary and Joseph.”
Other not-so-gay supporters fumed that it shows a “lack of respect” to Christians and God, the church in the guys’ city labeled it “sacrilege.”
Vásquez and Cárdenas are gay activists who have been committed via a civil union for three months. They told a Colombian website they posted the scene to Facebook to reform the country’s marriage laws. The Latin American country is mulling over a bill to legalize gay marriage.
The pair were the subject of a splashy profile in Kien & Ke, a Colombian culture magazine. Vásquez and Cárdenas said Colombia is quickly warming to gay rights and that the nativity scene is indicative of that, despite the backlash.
“We do not care what the constitution says, yes we are family,” Vásquez told the magazine.
Photo via Queerty