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Content about Anti-Catholicism in the United Kingdom

May 17, 2013
‘Bring me Sunshine’ for International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

Gay Star News joined forces with the UK capital's talented LGBT singers and musicians to make a video to mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO)

The GSN flashmob was filmed on Saturday 11 May, at The Scoop – an open-air performance space by City Hall, London.

It is being released for IDAHO today (17 May) – an event bringing together the LGBT community and their friends to promote equality worldwide.  

Luckily the rain held off to allow the musicians to perform the popular song ‘Bring me Sunshine’ - a tune we keep humming since rehearsals.

May 16, 2013
Anti-gay Twitter user demands ‘Straight Pride’ for ‘normal humans’

'Straight Pride UK' is calling for a march for heterosexuals against the England and Wales same-sex marriage bill

An anti-gay Twitter account is calling for a ‘Straight Pride’ on the social networking site.

For the past four days, ‘Straight Pride UK’ has tweeted messages about the need for a heterosexual march on 20 May to protest the upcoming debate on same-sex marriage in the House of Commons.

‘Being straight is not easy under the circumstances of our society. Straight people are being persecuted every day by political correctness,’ they write.

May 10, 2013
Investigation reveals National Lottery funds awarded to homophobic British faith groups

Some church groups throughout the UK that published homophobic materials intended for children, recieved up to £10,000 in grants from the Big Lottery Fund

Gay rights activists are demanding audits into British faith groups who’ve published homophobic materials.

According to British newspaper The Guardian, an investigation has revealed numerous church groups throughout the UK that receive grants from the Big Lottery Fund have published anti-gay lesson plans and sexist articles online.

Every year, the Big Lottery Fund awards millions of pounds to organizations for ‘good causes’.

May 9, 2013
Tatchell slams sex at 13 lawyer but wants lower age of consent

LGBT rights campaigner Peter Tatchell supports an age of consent of 14 for sex but not of 13, as suggested by senior British lawyer Barbara Hewson today

Veteran gay activist Peter Tatchell has criticized a British lawyer who called for the age of consent for all sex – gay and straight – in the UK to be lowered to 13.

Barbara Hewson was commenting on a child sex abuse scandal that has rocked the UK with some of the country’s ageing TV stars being arrested or questioned on suspicion of abuse of young boys and girls or women.

Now barrister – or senior lawyer – Hewson has said those rounding up suspected abusers are ‘zealots’ who are ‘manipulating’ the law.

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 26, 2013
Anti-abortion group says gay marriage will ‘destroy UK families’

Society for the Protection of Unborn Children has stepped up its campaigning calling on people to write to their MP condemning marriage equality

An anti-abortion group has stepped up their campaign to stop equal marriage from becoming legal in the UK.

Society for the Protection of Unborn Children has sent leaflets to British homes in a way of spreading their anti-gay message.

Titled ‘Stop David Cameron destroying Britain’s families’, the group argues legalizing same-sex marriage will have a devastating effect on children.

They fear ‘children and teenagers at school will quickly learn about “gay marriage”' and ‘gay relationships will be promoted to primary school children via storybooks’.

April 25, 2013
Call for rights in 43 gay sex crime countries

Veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell and supporters meet Commonwealth officials to discuss LGBT rights push

Gay activist Peter Tatchell and his fellow campaigners have met with Commonwealth officials to press for more action on LGBT rights.

The Commonwealth, whose titular head is Queen Elizabeth, has 54 member states but 43 of them criminalize homosexuality – that’s a majority of the 79 countries worldwide where it is illegal to have gay sex.

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 16, 2013
Campaigners call for UK's first LGBT museum

A popular exhibition has sparked debate about the possibility of creating the first permanent museum dedicated to the history of gay rights

Campaigners are calling for the first permanent British museum dedicated to gay rights be established in Leicester.

In the Midlands city, several fans of a recent popular exhibition documenting the lives of local LGBT people want it to be moved to a permanent museum site.

The project, named ‘Untold Stories’, was curated by Leicester LGBT Center and supported by a £50,000 ($77k, €58k) Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

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 19, 2013
Islamists anti-gay hate speech blocked by a London university

University of East London has blocked an Islamist meeting with hate preachers Khalid Yasin and Jalal Ibn Saeed

Following lobbying by rights group, the University of East London (UEL) blocked an Islamist meeting that featured anti-gay preachers Khalid Yasin and Jalal Ibn Saeed.

March 13, 2013
Homosexuality is 'demonic' says renowned Nigeria pastor

Wole Oladiyun, a Nigerian Evangelical pastor said God hates gays who disfigure honor and glory

A famous Nigerian pastor has compared homosexuality to bestiality and incest saying it was 'demonic' and 'disfigures' God's glory.

The pastor, Wole Oladiyun, of Christ Livingspring Apostolic Ministry (CLAM), also equated gay sex with prostitution, adultery and fornication and said oral sex dishonours people, 'unhygienic and dirty'.

March 11, 2013
Queen Elizabeth misses 'gay' speech, still expected to sign equal rights charter

Not all see signing as implicit support for gay rights and women's equality

Queen Elizabeth, recovering from illness, skipped the Commonwealth Observance service at London's Westminster Abbey today where she was to call for equal rights in a speech.

The 86-year-old monarch was still expected at an evening event at Marlborough House where she was to sign a Commonwealth Charter calling for equal rights in the 54 charter nations.

March 5, 2013
Church orders 'gay sex acts' Cardinal O'Brien to live as hermit

Cardinal O'Brien, who has admitted to sexual misconduct, has been told by the Church to live as a hidden hermit and may face police investigation

The Catholic Church has told Cardinal Keith O'Brien that he is not to set foot in Scotland again and live the rest of his life as a hermit in a hidden address in England.

The cleric also faces a potential police investigation and a Vatican inquiry after admitting that his 'sexual conduct fell well below the standards expected of a priest and archbishop', throwing the Catholic Church in Scotland into crisis.

February 25, 2013
As O’Brien quits, Tatchell threatens to ‘out’ gays who oppose equality

Veteran activist Peter Tatchell tells GSN he is ‘considering’ exposing clergy and politicians who are secretly gay but oppose equal marriage

Veteran British activist Peter Tatchell has told GSN he may expose ‘half a dozen’ leading clergy and politicians who are secretly gay but oppose LGBT equality.

February 5, 2013
Gay campaigners rally at parliament for right to marry

LGBT people and their supporters have held a rally as the British parliament prepares to vote on same-sex marriage in England and Wales

Gay rights campaigners have rallied outside the UK parliament ahead of a vote on same-sex marriage this evening (5 February).

The rally saw about 60 campaigners brave light rain and bitterly cold winter winds to encourage Members of Parliament (MPs) to back their cause.

Meanwhile Gay Star News could only find two people picketing parliament against gay marriage.

The majority of MPs are expected to back the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill when it comes to a vote this evening, despite vociferous opposition from some of their colleagues.

February 5, 2013
Macedonia local elections whip up anti-gay hate

Anti-gay sentiments are whipped up in Macedonia ahead of local elections. EU politcians warn things must improve if the country is admitted into the Union

Macedonia’s state controlled media has been whipping up homophobia and outing allegedly gay members of the opposition ahead of the country’s local elections in little over than two months.

The Vecer daily, a paper aligned with the government of Macedonia, has publicly named and shamed pro opposition figures, accusing them of being gay and publishing their pictures.

January 31, 2013
UK parliament opens its doors for gay cure debates

Core Issues, an organization advocating discredited and dangerous ‘gay cures’, was given space in Britain’s parliament for an informal debate to push its views

A Christian group was given a committee room in Britain’s Houses of Parliament yesterday (31 January) to debate therapy to ‘cure’ gay people.

The event, which took place in Committee Room 11 of the Houses of Parliament yesterday was set up and promoted by Core Issues, a Christian group that has previously written disparagingly on LGBT issues.

January 15, 2013
Oxford Union slammed for inviting three gay haters

Oxford University debating society invited three hate speakers to discuss gay parenting, while dropping far-right politician, Nick Griffin, who they claimed was invited ‘by mistake’

World-famous debating society, The Oxford Union, has invited three gay hate camapigners to promote their views on gay parenting.

The debate at Oxford University in southern England, one of the world's most famous educational establishments, will take place on Thursday (17 January) with well-known homophobes Scott Lively, Winston McKenzie and Peter D Williams invited to take part.

January 15, 2013
Police deny DNA 'witch hunt' against gay men

Gay man in Salford left 'depressed and suicidal' after police demand DNA for archaic gross indecency offences

British police deny they are targeting the LGBT community by demanding DNA samples from gay men who were convicted of 'victimless' sexual offences.

Gay rights activist Peter Tatchell is calling on the Home Secretary and Chief Constables to halt the police's 'homophobic witch hunt' of gay men convicted under the UK's gross indecency law, despite the legislation being repealed in 2003.

The veteran campaigner claims forces in Greater Manchester and Northumbria have threatened to arrest the men if they fail to comply with their demands.

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.

December 25, 2012
Queen urged to break her silence on gay Brits during Christmas message

Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell calls the British monarchy is homophobic for never mentioning the word gay or lesbian

Veteran activist Peter Tatchell is calling on Britain’s Queen to mention gays for the first time in her Christmas message.

Writing exclusively for Gay Star News, the gay rights campaigner accuses the monarchy of homophobia ‘by default’ for never using the word gay in Elizabeth II’s 60-year reign.

December 11, 2012
‘Church gay marriage ban open to legal challenge,’ says Peter Tatchell

Veteran gay rights campaigner says the Church of England and Wales ban on performing same-sex unions is illegal according to European law

Veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has said UK government proposals for marriage equality are open to legal challenges.

In the Culture Secretary Maria Miller’s statement to the House of Commons on 11 December, she said the Church of England and Wales will be banned from performing same-sex marriages.

If other religious organizations opt out, all ministers will be unable to perform same-sex marriages, and if they opt in, all ministers will have a choice whether to opt in or out of ordaining gay unions.