Kevin Crowe's story about Dancing on the Edge
« Back to The Book That Changed My Life
Author: Richard Holloway
SynopsisThe former Episcopal Bishop of Edinburgh argues that gay people should be welcomed by all denominations, that gays have a lot to offer and that churches should apologise for their treatment of gays.
My Story
I grew up in the 1960s both Catholic and gay, and couldn't reconcile the two. I ended up denying both my sexuality and my religion. Some years after coming out, whilst managing an HIV/AIDS project, my admin worker - who was also training as a Methodist preacher - gave me a copy of "Dancing on the Edge". Its effect on me was momentous. I had for some time become less antagonistic towards the Church, and after reading this book - in which Richard Holloway argues that gay people have a lot to offer all denominations - I attended Mass at a nearby Dominican Priory.
The sermon was all about not judging people. After Mass, I saw a priest wearing a leather jacket and an Aids ribbon, so I nervously approached him. It turned out he was the Catholic hospital chaplain and convenor of Quest, the Catholic Gay organisation. He took me back into the Church. It felt like coming home.
That was about 15 years ago. My partner of 20 years has since joined me in the Catholic Church (moving from the Church of England). We are in a civil partnership, and we received lots of support from our local church - both priest and parishoners.
I love this story, what a way for a book to change your life! I wonder if anyone else has had similar experiences with reading this book.
One of the odd things about being a writer is that you send these things out into space and you wonder if they've landed anywhere. Sometimes you get letters, not always nice ones, and you get the occasional review; but absolutely nothing can beat hearing that one of your books has actually changed a life for the better, so thanks to the good old SBT, dear to my heart anyway, for launching such an interesting project, and love and good wishes to Kevin Crowe and his partner for the long years ahead. Richard Holloway
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