Religion

The gay Humanist charity the Pink Triangle Trust (PTT) has called for a strong protest to be made when Pope Benedict XVI visits the UK early next year.

The PTT's secretary George Broadhead said: "This pope has shown himself to be paranoid about homosexuality. His opposition to LGBT rights knows no bounds. In his Christmas message last year he declared that saving humanity from homosexual behaviour was as important as saving the rainforest from destruction. This must be the most outrageous and bizarre claim yet made by someone who has already got a well-deserved reputation as one of the most viciously homophobic world leaders on a par with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. The Vatican reinforced its anti-gay reputation by strongly opposing a UN declaration calling for an end to discrimination against gays and the Pope's Christmas messsage provided clear evidence of an obsession about homosexuality which is tantamount to paranoia."

Read more: Gay Humanists Call Pope Protest in UK

The editor of the UK’s only gay humanist magazine has weighed into the debate over calls by two of the country’s leading churchmen for people not to vote for the British National Party (BNP).
 
The Archbishops of both Canterbury and York, Rowan Williams and John Sentamu, say voters should not let the current scandal over MPs’ expenses drive them to vote BNP.
 
In recognising the public’s anger over the Westminster expenses debacle, the two churchmen warned: “This is not a moment for voting in favour of any political party whose core ideology is about sowing division in our communities and hostility on grounds of race, creed or colour.”

Read more: Gay Humanists React to Bishops anti-BNP Call

The TUC will join human rights organisations, academics and faith communities to address the growing problems of homophobia and transphobia, at a conference in London next week - on Saturday 16 May.

The TUC-sponsored conference – Faith, Homophobia, Transphobia and Human Rights – follows up an initial meeting on homophobia in the faith community in 2007, which was supported by 52 organisations and attended by 250 delegates.

The conference aims to build an alliance between people of faith and those concerned with social equality. During the day there will be a discussion on the use of faith to obstruct equality, and debates on loopholes in equality law in workplaces and schools, and the issue of homophobia and transphobia in faith schools.

Read more: Time to tackle homophobia in faith community, says TUC

Promotion of medical treatment for 'gay cure' at a religious conference have been criticised by doctors.

Prominent American psychologist Dr Joseph Nicolosi who said he had helped many people to become heterosexual will speak at the conference.

Read more: Religious 'Gay Cure Treatment' criticised by Doctors

Prime Minister Gordon Brown supported the defeat of a California gay marriage ban. Brown called California's Proposition 8 “unacceptable.”

The Downing Street reception was organised to celebrate LGBT History Month attended by prominent gay leaders. This was the first time the LGBT community had been invited to a reception at number 10.

The Labour Party legalized civil partnerships for gay and lesbian couples in 2005. They have also overseen open gay service in the military since 2000.

Read more: Gordon Brown Attacks Homophobic Proposition 8 at LGBT Reception