Mediums support gays and those infected
with HIV
an
article from The Psychic
News
THREE
mediums last week
came out batting on behalf of gays and those who have been diagnosed as HIV
positive, which may lead to full blown AIDS.
The debate started after Sussex lesbian Sue
Dimond said (Feb I) that some mediums were too prejudiced or embarrassed to
relay messages from "dead" gay lovers and friends.
Clairvoyant and trance
medium Ursula Roberts said last week she had rarely read "more ridiculous
letters" than sonic published in PN about this issue.
"Surely by this time," said Ursula,
"mediums have learned that loving relation-ships are the real foundation
of good communication between this world and the spirit one.
"If one says messages may not be relayed
because one of the recipients is lesbian or gay, one might as well say messages
cannot be transmit-ted between friends, or separated husbands and wives, or
any other spirit who wants to send a reassuring communication."
Ursula - a Spiritualist minister-added: "In
my long life, I have observed many gay people who are extremely loving, not
only to their partners, but to the world as a whole.
"In my work as a medium, I have also been
aware of the acute suffering of those whom death has separated through AIDS
or other illnesses or accidents."
She ended: "Surely we Spiritualists are
not going to show intolerance. Under-standing and tolerance are the keynotes
of true Spiritualism.
A 
similar message came from Eastleigh, Hants,
mediums Craig and Jane Hamilton-Parker. Craig told PN:
"There is plenty of room for improvement
within Spiritualism regarding gays. They get a pretty raw deal all round.
"Spiritualism should have tolerance as
its touchstone. After all, 60-90 percent of male mediums are gay.
Craig said he and his wife seem to attract
a lot of gay sitters looking for spirit contact.
"Spiritualism, because of its non-dependence
on dogma and creed, is probably the world's most tolerant religion.
"It does not expect you to change your
beliefs. One may continue to practise Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc,
and still the doors of Spiritualism remain open to you.
Craig added: "We found that more and more
gay people were coming to us for readings, as one person would recommend another.
"A local gay club got to hear about us
and our work as mediums. We were asked if we could give readings at a charity
event they were holding in support of AIDS."
Jane explained that Danny La Rue auctioned
some of his costumes, the proceeds being donated to the fund. Jane -she met
him some years ago when travelling aboard the QE2 - pointed out that Mr La
Rue knew Doris Stokes "so was open to the concept of mediumship."
Craig was "a little nervous about the
idea of going to a gay club.
"Our gay friends who escorted us that evening were pulling my leg all
the way to the event. Some less tolerant friends were even critical about
us doing mediumship at such a venue.
"I believe such criticism is unfounded.
Obviously a Spiritualist church is the easiest and best setting to work, but
often Jane and I find our-selves making a link for someone in need in unusual
circumstances."
A separate room was set aside at the club for
Jane and Craig to demonstrate. A small charge was made for sittings. "The
response was wonderful," she said. "There were more people wanting
readings than we could possibly do.
"Most of the spirit communicators were
partners that had passed over, having died of AIDS.
"Some of the circumstances of the passings
were heart-breaking. Many of our sitters were full of tears to think that
their lovers and partners were safe in the spirit world."
Craig explained it was not until he came face
to face with AIDS that "I realised what a horrific illness it is.
"Many of the sitters had AIDS themselves.
Superficially they looked quite healthy.
"It was the psychological problems in
coming to terms with the illness that was the form of suffering that seemed
hardest for many of them to accept.
"Imagine the feelings that these sensitive
men and women must have felt at the prospect that there was a high likelihood
that, having been diagnosed as HIV positive, they were to die young."
Craig added:
"They had already witnessed many of their
friends die, and now their own life was on the line. Proof of survival was
a great help to many of them.
"One of the partners that communicated
from the spirit world - and who had died of AIDS - was the very person who
had passed the illness on to the person sitting in front of me."
According to Jane, marry of those who had sittings
"were reassured by the evidence we gave.
"The love and feelings that were communicated
through our readings were stronger than many of the best heterosexual relationships."
Craig ended by saying that though he and Jane
raised £75 "which does not sound a lot, the important thing was
that many people were helped that wouldn't normally go to a Spiritualist church.
"The early Spiritualists recognised our beliefs as the foundation of
a universal religion."It cuts through the prejudices of traditional religions.
Perhaps it can even cut through the social prejudices as well."
