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."