Drag, the Church, and a Remix of the Lord's Prayer: Art or Offense?
Honestly, when I first read about the Pura Luka Vega case, I had to do a double-take. My first thought was, 'Oh no you didn't!' A drag performer dressing up in a religious costume and remixing the Lord's Prayer? It sounds like the plot of a bizarre satirical film, but it's a very real controversy, so I grabbed a bucket of popcorn and watched how the case unfolded with intense curiosity. Naturally, this situation reminded me of the case of Carlos Celdran. His 2010 protest inside the Manila Cathedral, where he dressed as Jose Rizal and held a 'Damaso' sign during an ecumenical service, challenged the Church's perceived interference in political matters. As the Celdran case showed, bold artistic expressions or protests that challenge the Church can earn its strong disapproval. Celdran was convicted of offending religious feelings, leading to his exile in Madrid. He passed away there in 2019 from a heart attack. This begs the question– is Pura Luka Vega