In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Gays.
Or at least that’s how I remember that Bible verse. OK, maybe not. But a church in Sweden did just unveil the country’s first-ever LGBTQ+ altarpiece, which replaces Adam and Eve with gay couples and a transgender serpent, so you tell me.
The painting, titled Paradise, shows queer couples wearing fig leaves in the Garden of Eden and was created by lesbian artist Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin in 2012. Wallin found inspiration from the work of Renaissance painter Lucas Cranach the Elder. The artist wanted to show that LGBTQ+ people deserve a place in paradise, not in hell.
Wallin originally tried to donate the work to the Skara Cathedral in Sweden, which at the time was preparing to conduct the first same-sex wedding in its 1,000-year history. According to reports at the time, Wallin said she “wanted to test if the Church of Sweden was as gay-friendly as it claimed to be” following its 2009 support for same-sex marriage. The gift was declined by Skara Cathedral, which alleged it was “about political activism and not faith.”
Paradise was finally unveiled at St. Paul’s Church in Malmö on Monday, which was the first day of advent. According to the church, the goal was to create “greater inclusion and identification in the Church.”
“It is with pride and joy that we receive Paradise in St Paul’s Church. We need images that open up for greater inclusion and identification in the church,” St. Paul’s said in a statement. “We are grateful to Elisabeth’s artistry, which enables us to build a credible church that shows that we all, regardless of who we love and identify as, are accommodated in Paradise.”