Jesus, Gary and Joseph?

That whole “born of a virgin in a stable” thing is so 1 A.D. Your “progressive” 21^st Century European cities are going in for “gay friendly” nativity scenes this Christmas. 

At least, that's what Amsterdam is doing to promote the city as a gay capital. Its modern manger scene is complete with a male Mary dressed in drag.

Wendy Mills, the male entertainer supposed to portray the mother of Christ, sported black high heel boots and a blonde wig. Not to be outdone, Joseph donned a silver shawl and black leather trunks.

And not a moment too soon. The Culture and Media Institute's annual list of assaults on Christmas, aptly nicknamed the Grinch-O-Meter [1], can add this one to the list.

It's become routine that every year around this time, the true meaning of Christmas ruffles a few feathers, prompting lawsuits and outrageous demonstrations by activist atheists and groups like the ACLU. This year's Grinch-O-Meter includes some of the usual suspects, and even a Playboy magazine cover with Mary-as-porn star. But this latest news from Amsterdam is a new one.

 The AP reports [2] that the city hosted the “Pink Christmas” celebration for gays at a time when they feel “threatened,” according to Frank van Dalen, chairman of Pro Gay, the event's organizer. Church representatives in the Netherlands criticized the scene as an “affront on traditional values.”

According to van Dalen, the event was sponsored by the Amsterdam city council and cost an estimated $21,000. He hopes the celebration becomes a regular event, as gays wish to be “socially accepted as an indivisible part of society,” because they are not “satisfied with being tolerated.”

While van Dalen said their “objective isn't to be offensive,” but rather “visible,” the Christians for Truth didn't see it that way. “By portraying Joseph and Mary as homosexuals, a twisted human fantasy is being added to the history of the Bible,” the group said in a statement.

Offensive? Who could be offended by Mary with five-o'clock shadow and a slammin' pair of heels?

Erin Brown is an intern at the Culture and Media Institute, a division of the Media Research Center.