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May 20, 2013
Church forces Archbishop Welby to abandon straight civil partnerships

Church 'unconvinced' there was a ‘genuine and widespread public need’ for change as gay marriage bill goes through UK parliament

Church of England bosses have forced their own leader – Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby – to pull support for straight civil partnerships.

It is part of their official response to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill for England and Wales which the government is currently pushing through the UK parliament and which will be debated again today.

The Church of England is the state religion of Britain and its bishops will have a vote on the legislation when it reaches the House of Lords.

May 17, 2013
Church of England agrees gay marriage lock will protect it

Civil partnerships for straight couples are for people who are 'pursuing “equality” as an abstract concept’, Church of England claims

The Church of England has agreed the marriage equality law will protect it from legal challenges in the future.

In a briefing before the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill is discussed House of Commons on Monday (20 May), the Church said while they cannot support the bill, they do agree the government has ‘good intentions’.

A quadruple lock, which protects the Church of England as the state religion, states no religious organization or minister will be compelled to marry gay couples.

May 6, 2013
New Zealand: gay man ‘humiliated’ and ‘disappointed’ over priesthood rejection

Eugene Sisneros is claiming he was not allowed to enter into priesthood training because he’s in a gay relationship

A New Zealand gay man is taking a bishop to a Human Rights Tribunal after being rejected from training as a priest.

Eugene Sisneros, an events coordinator at St. Matthew in the City church, is claiming the Anglican Bishop of Auckland, Ross Bay, won’t let him into the priesthood because he’s gay, and in a long-term relationship with a man.

April 28, 2013
Gay bishop could become third-most senior cleric in Church of England

Openly gay Dr. Jeffrey John could become the next Bishop of Durham, the third-most powerful position in the Anglican Church

An openly gay bishop could become the third-highest ranking cleric in the Church of England.

Dr. Jeffrey John, Dean of St. Albans, is being considered for the role of Bishop of Durham, a position previously held by the now-leader of the Anglican Church Archbishop of Canterbury Rev. Justin Welby.

According to British newspaper The Telegraph, the panel responsible for appointing the next Bishop of Durham was told on Friday (26 April) that the new appointee should be able to establish ‘positive relationships’ with gay Anglicans.

April 19, 2013
Archbishop Welby in more secret talks with gay Christians

LGBT Christians have met the new head of the Church of England. And gay Christians are also meeting with bishops in Nigeria and Kenya, it has emerged

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has had a second secret meeting with gay rights campaigners as he re-thinks the Anglican Church’s attitude to LGBT people.

And it has emerged that Anglican bishops in Africa – where the church has been criticized for promoting LGBT persecution in some places – have also started to meet with gay Christians.

April 18, 2013
Tatchell v Welby: talks start but Archbishop won’t shift on gay marriage

Veteran gay rights activist Tatchell meets head of the Anglican Church worldwide, Archbishop Justin Welby: No compromise but ‘constructive’

New Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby admits gay relationships have value but won’t shift on same-sex marriage, activist Peter Tatchell has said after meeting with him.

Tatchell urged Welby to reconsider gay marriage equality, apologize for past church persecution of LGBT people and engage with activists in Africa where parts of the Anglican church are leading a wave of homophobic hate.

But Tatchell emerged from meeting Archbishop Welby this afternoon (18 April) with an agreement to further dialogue as the biggest concession he could secure.

April 10, 2013
Church right-wing paves way for Archbishop to bless gay partners

A new report by traditionalists on the doctrinal committee of the Church of England has recommends blessings of gay civil partners

Conservatives in the Church of England have paved the way for the clergy to bless gay and lesbian couples entering civil partnerships.

It comes at a time when Justin Welby, the new Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Anglican Church worldwide, is rumored to be considering formally backing civil partnership ceremonies.

April 5, 2013
Gay and trans unity is still the best response to hate after Lucy Meadows death

Even in the UK, LGBT people still risk hatred that can kill – after the death of a trans teacher and a gay autistic teen, we need to stand together

A female teacher was found dead last month at her home in Accrington, Lancashire, north-west England. The police have said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death. Although the coroner is yet to release the cause of death Twitter and Facebook are awash with allegations of transphobic bullying from the mainstream press with the suggestion that led Lucy Meadows to take her own life.

April 4, 2013
Why I oppose the gospel according to George

Britain’s former Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, claims Christians are marginalized and persecuted because they can’t attack LGBT people

The former Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, had an article published in the Daily Mail in which he essentially said Christians are being marginalized and persecuted because they weren’t able to marginalized and persecute the LGBT community.

March 31, 2013
Church must disagree ‘gracefully’ over gay marriage, urges Bishop of Canterbury

The head of the Anglican Church worldwide calls for constructive ways to disagree over ‘huge issues’ like same-sex marriage and women bishops

The head of the Church of England Justin Welby has called for the Church to disagree ‘gracefully’ over divisive issues including gay marriage.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, who wasted no time in speaking out against gay marriage equality on his first official day in office this year, today gave an interview calling for Anglicans to demonstrate to society they can agree to disagree.

March 20, 2013
Archbishop Justin Welby to meet gay activist Peter Tatchell

Head of the Anglican church worldwide says Tatchell’s letter to him urging better LGBT rights ‘requires much thought’ and raises ‘powerful’ points

The head of the Church of England Justin Welby will meet with gay activist Peter Tatchell to discuss gay marriage and LGBT rights in Africa.

Welby, who became Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Anglican church worldwide this year, pledged to meet Tatchell today after the veteran campaigner sent him an open letter questioning the church’s attitudes on LGBT issues.

Welby described Tatchell’s letter as ‘thoughtful’ and said he would meet him after Easter.

March 17, 2013
Anglican Bishop of Liverpool calls for blessings for same-sex civil partners

One of the most senior Church of England bishops has broken ranks with colleagues to say that the church should offer blessing services for same-sex couples in civil partnerships

Liverpool Anglican Bishop James Jones has broken ranks with other senior Church of England clergy to call for blessing services to be offered to same-sex couples in civil partnerships.

‘Over the years I have shared with you my thinking about how the gospel of embrace may be felt by those who are gay,’ Jones said in an address to the Diocese of Liverpool Synod.

March 17, 2013
London chapel to possibly host gay weddings

Ministers and MPs are debating turning the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, located beneath Parliament, into a ‘multi-faith prayer room’ in order to conduct same-sex marriages

A Labour MP has submitted a proposal for a Westminster chapel to conduct same-sex marriages.

According to The Telegraph, Labour MP and gay marriage supporter Chris Bryant introduced the idea that the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft be turned into ‘multi-faith prayer room’, which would open the door for ministers belonging to religious denominations such as Quakers and Liberal Jews to conduct same-sex marriages.

March 14, 2013
The gay Catholic who has refused to have sex his whole life

Stephen Guest isn’t a priest but decided at 12 that as a gay man it would be a sin to ever have sex, or even masturbate, and has remained celibate ever since

In the church Pope Francis I has inherited, it may be hard to believe any normal gay Catholic could be sufficiently devout to have abstained from any kind of sex for his whole life.

But that is what Stephen Guest, now aged 44, has done from 12-years-old when he first started to realize his sexuality.

Guest contacted Gay Star News to question whether we were being fair in our coverage of the Catholic Church. He is not a priest but believes that to have gay sex would be a grave sin. It would condemn his soul to eternal damnation.

March 8, 2013
London vicar says gay people can be cured

Church of England priest compares gay people to murderers and says same-sex marriage is a sin

A London vicar has said ‘people can be cured from being gay’.

Reverend Steven Hanna, from St Elisabeth’s of Becontree, in Dagenham, made the remarks after he signed a letter with local church leaders protesting marriage equality.

‘I am not saying that being gay is a sin. I am saying gay practice is a sin and gay marriage is a sin,’ the Church of England vicar told the Barking and Dagenham Post.

March 4, 2013
Nigerian Anglican Primate says gay marriage and people are works of the devil

LGBT rights advocates slam Nigeria's Anglican Church for stirring anti-gay hate

The Primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, Nicholas Okoh, has condemned homosexuality and gay marriage, saying they are evil and works of the devil that must not be allowed to exist in Nigerian society.

February 7, 2013
Priests to bless gay marriages ‘under the radar’

Despite the ban on the Church of England hosting same-sex marriages in the bill's current form, ministers say they will risk their careers to do what they feel is right

Church of England priests will bless same-sex marriages ‘under the radar’, campaigners are saying.

There is a ban on the church and all its clergy hosting ceremonies for gay couples in its form, but some say ministers will get around this by performing blessing ceremonies under a different name.

The announcement comes after the House of Commons voted overwhelmingly for marriage equality after its second reading 400 votes to 175.

February 5, 2013
Maria Miller says no Europe court risk of gay marriage

UK Culture Secretary and Equalities Minister Maria Miller has answered questions from opponents of same-sex marriage in the House of Commons

The UK culture secretary and equalities minister has said there is no risk of European courts interfering in the gay marriage law in England and Wales.

On 5 February. Maria Miller took questions from members of parliament who oppose same-sex marriage.

She said the argument which states the European Court of Human Rights would overturn the legal lock ensuring no gay couple would be able to sue the Church of England and the Church in Wales for not performing same-sex marriages.

February 4, 2013
England’s new archbishop set to bash gay marriage

New Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is predicted to use his first day to attack marriage equality ahead of parliamentary vote

The new Archbishop of Canterbury is set to use his first official day in office to attack gay marriage.

Right Reverend Justin Welby will be formally confirmed as head of the Church of England at a ceremony in St Paul’s Cathedral today (4 February).

But a source has told the Daily Telegraph he will step in to the battle over marriage equality, ahead of tomorrow’s vote in the UK parliament on extending marriage to same-sex couples in England and Wales.

February 4, 2013
New Archbishop Welby speaks against gay marriage on first day

As predicted, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby’s first day as head of Church of England has been marked by his opposition to gay marriage

The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has spoken out against gay marriage equality today after he formally took office.

Welby was officially confirmed as head of the Church of England at a ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral in London today (4 February).

Speaking afterwards, he made clear the church hierarchy would continue to oppose same-sex marriage equality – ahead of a vote on the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill for England and Wales in the UK parliament tomorrow.

February 4, 2013
Top gay Christian says new archbishop’s plan to attack gay marriage is ‘horrific’

Reverend Sharon Ferguson comments as church document claims letting gay wed would destroy ‘traditional institution of marriage’

The head of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) has said new Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s plan to attack same-sex marriage as ‘absolutely horrific’.

Reverend Sharon Ferguson of the LGCM told Gay Star News that Welby shouldn’t use his first day in the job to attack gay and lesbian couples but should be trying to welcome them back into the Church of England he now heads.

Welby is being formally confirmed in his new job today (4 February) at a service in St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

January 25, 2013
UK government’s gay marriage bill published

UK Culture Secretary and Equalities Minister Maria Miller has published the bill giving gay couples the equal right to marry in England and Wales

January 16, 2013
Evangelical priest risks backlash by speaking out for gay rights

Reverand Steve Chalke is urging the Church of England and Wales to stop treating gay people as 'pariahs' and support same-sex marriage

An influential and senior evangelical minister has risked a backlash after calling on the Church of England to stop treating gay people as pariahs.

Reverend Steve Chalke, a Baptist minister, said the time is now for the church to demonstrate its compassion and commitment to inclusivity.

The senior minister’s comments come as the Church of England is heavily divided in its view on the government’s plans for same-sex marriage.

January 10, 2013
Former British minister David Blunkett brands gay marriage plans a ‘dog’s dinner’

Former UK Home Secretary David Blunkett says the current government has messed up equal marriage but indicates he has an open mind

Britain’s former Home Secretary David Blunkett has attacked plans to introduce equal marriage in England and Wales as a ‘complete dog’s dinner’.

Writing to a PinkNews reader, the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Sheffield said the current Conservative and Liberal Democrat government had messed up the plans.

But he has not closed the door to eventually supporting the plans.

January 8, 2013
Stop churches marrying anyone, says bisexual British political leader

Liberal Democrat deputy leader, Simon Hughes, says religious celebrants should lose legal authority to conduct weddings as part of a push for gay marriage equality

The bisexual deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, one of Britain’s leading parties, wants to stop all religious groups from marrying couples, gay or straight.

Simon Hughes is to meet the UK’s equalities minister, Maria Miller, to discuss whether only civil officials should be allowed to conduct weddings, Gay Star News can reveal.

His bid would take away one of the key privileges of religious bodies including the Church of England which is officially Britain’s state church and is formally headed by Queen Elizabeth.