Christian hypocrites
The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) has accused (via) Stephen Green’s rabidly homophobic Christian Voice of hypocrisy after Green claimed responsibilty for whipping up the furore over the Gay Police Association’s “bloody Bible” advert.
According to a GALHA spokesman:
A few weeks ago Christians were complaining about Iqbal Sacranie (former head of the Muslim Council of Britain) and Lynette Burrows (author) being questioned by the police for making anti-gay remarks. They claimed at the time that it infringed their freedom of speech. We agreed with them.
But now they are celebrating because gays are being investigated over supposed ‘Christianophobic’ allegations. It seems the ultimate in hypocrisy, but this is the way it seems to be going. Christians must have the right to defame and insult gays, but we mustn’t answer back or its blasphemy and persecution. It heralds a new front on the war that religion has declared against gay people
Reverend Martin Reynolds of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement has come out in support of the GPA, pointing out that:
[Th]he basic premise of the GPA advert is true, unfortunately some Christians and other religious groups have and do advocate harm to gay people.
Religious fundamentalists represent a real threat to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, they cannot be ignored.
GALHA secretary, George Broadhead has written to the GPA backing their stance:
It is outrageous that Christians should suggest that complaints about their homophobia amount to an attack on their ‘religious freedom’. It increasingly appears that ‘religious freedom’ amounts to a freedom to attack and insult gay people.
The Government’s granting of exemptions from equality legislation to allow religious groups to go on discriminating against gay people is an example of this. Under the new Goods and Services Discrimination Regulations which come into effect in October, it will be illegal to discriminate against gay people in the provision of goods and services from that date, but religious groups are pressing for exemptions that would allow them, uniquely, to continue to do so. How religious people can claim that their faith is not homophobic is incomprehensible.
Which brings us very neatly to the crux of the matter. As long as Christian groups continue to campaign for the right to discriminate against gay people, the rest of us have every right to accuse them of being homophobic.
Sunday 30 Jul 2006 | Paul | UK
