Celebrate the life of LGBTIQ+ people of faith. Great Liturgy, music, company, and refreshments on the lawns afterwards.

Homilist: Fr Stuart Asquith

The Reverend Stuart Asquith is an Anglican Priest and an Australian Defence Force Officer called to serve as a Chaplain. He is also a gay male and passionate about the rainbow community. He likes to identify as a Rainbow Chaplain.

He said “being a rainbow chaplain can be a real struggle at times. The difficulty is with my own denomination which I have belonged to my whole life. Sadly as the Church stays silent on the acts against rainbow people and their relationships the movement of God’s work shifts away from it. But God is faithful to the Church and I believe that God’s people are bringing about a new era.”

Stu (as the troops call him) is originally from Melbourne and has been posted up and down the east coast of Australia. He was Baptised, Confirmed, Deaconed and Priested all in one place, St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne.

As a Chaplain he is regularly on Defence Bases meeting people. Today the ADF is an egalitarian and progressive organisation. Being a gay man who is also an ordained priest in an Air Force uniform is a real blessing and a unique opportunity to be Christ’s presence.

He hopes to speak to this experience and share a message of hope for the Church to which we belong.