Hospital facing backlash after chaplain puts up LGBT flags in prayer room for gravely ill children, leaving one practising Christian mother ‘shaking with anger’ after finding the spiritual care facility had been ‘taken over by gender activism’
- Maxwell Reay, a transgender man, activist and minister at a United Reformed Church is in charge of ‘spiritual care’ at Edinburgh’s famous Sick Kids hospital
- The flags include ones denoting polyamory, genderfluid and agender people
A trans chaplain and the NHS faced a backlash from parents of terminally and gravely ill children after a prayer room was covered with LGBT flags for Pride month.
Maxwell Reay, a transgender man, activist and minister at a United Reformed Church in Edinburgh is also in charge of ‘spiritual care’ at the city’s famous Sick Kids hospital.
A spokesman for NHS Lothian said: ‘The flags were used as temporary decoration in the sanctuary to mark the Pride day of celebration.’
But one practising Christian family – who is related to a terminally ill toddler that uses the facility – said she was left ‘shaking with anger’ after the prayer room was transformed.
They claim the room is being used for ‘activism’ for a cause that is in conflict with their religious beliefs.
Maxwell Reay, a transgender man, activist and minister at a United Reformed Church in Edinburgh (pictured) is also in charge of ‘spiritual care’ at the city’s famous Sick Kids hospital
But one practicing Christian family – who is related to a terminally ill toddler that uses the facility – said she was left ‘shaking with anger’ after the prayer room was transformed
The room is called the ‘sanctury’, but was labelled a ‘chill out zone’ by a sign featuring an LGBT sign outside the door
‘We are a small family and we are all very traumatised by the situation we’re facing,’ she told the Telegraph.
‘My family and I are leaning on our faith as we face the worst fear and trauma of our lives, but as it stands we can’t use what is meant to be the hospital’s prayer room.’
The room – which is called the ‘sanctuary’, but was labelled a ‘chill out zone’ by a sign featuring an LGBT sign outside the door – is intended to be a ‘space for quiet reflection, prayer or meditation’, according to the hospital’s website.
The hospital claimed the ‘chill out zone’ sign had been left up due to an error and is now removed.
But parents arrived to find the area decked in flags – including one denoting polyamory, where people have sexual relationships with more than one person.
One clinician from the children’s hospital claimed it had been turned into a ‘social issues battlefield’, with the flags amounting to the ‘blatant sexualisation of children’.
A string of bunting also includes the genderfluid flag, where people do not have a fixed gender, and the agender flag, where people do not believe they have a gender.
Mr Reay, who is a Reverend Elder in the Metropolitan Community Church, has lived as a trans man for more than 25 years.
A string of bunting includes one denoting polyamory, where people have sexual relationships with more than one person alongside the genderfluid flag, where people do not have a fixed gender, and the agender flag, where people do not believe they have a gender
Pictured: The hospital’s prayer room before the flags were installed
Speaking on the Transgender Day of Visibility in March, he said: ‘We are a denomination that believes that being transgender is a gift from God.
‘A truly wonderful gift that needs to be shared and not hidden.’
On Tuesday, NHS Lothian Children’s services announced it had passed the LGBT Charter – which acknowledges the organisation’s commitment to ‘create an environment where patients and their visitors feel comfortable and respected by knowledgeable, sensitive and supportive staff, irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity.’
This includes asking patients how they want to be addressed – such as asking their preferred name, pronouns and not misgendering them.
Speaking on a video by the Hospital titled ‘Ask Don’t Guess’, Mr Reay added: ‘How people identify is really important to them and it’s part of their spiritual wellbeing to identify as just who they are without feeling any judgement.’
He continued: ‘If you don’t know somebody’s pronouns, you might like to ask.’
NHS Lothian has been contacted for comment.
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