Pope fuels debate over gay equality and religious freedom

The Pope has attacked the government's Equality Bill and urged Catholic Bishops in England and Wales to fight the Bill with "missionary zeal".

The Pope's outburst follows the government's defeat in the House of Lords last week over an Equality Bill amendment to prevent churches from denying jobs to gay and trans people.

The government were trying to amend the bill so that exemptions to equality provisions applied only to those whose jobs "wholly or mainly" involved taking part in services or rituals, or explaining the doctrines of religion."

The Equality Bill seeks to make society a fairer place for women, people from ethnic minorities, disabled people, people with different religions or beliefs, older people, lesbian, gay and bisexual people and trans people.

As the bill makes its way through parliament, issues around sexual orientation and religion continue to conflict.

The BBC have reported that Pope Benedict XVI said the legislation "violates natural law".

He added: "Your country is well-known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society.

"Yet, as you have rightly pointed out, the effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs.

"In some respects it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded and by which it is guaranteed."

Controversially suggesting that religious freedom is more important than the rights of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, women, and people from the ethnic minorities etc.

The Pope's stance on the Equality Bill fails to take into consideration that it's trying to widen opportunities for lesbian, gay and bisexual people of faith in terms of provision of services and access to employment.

Not all Catholic people agree with the Pope on the Equality Bill.

Labour MEP Stephen Hughes, speaking in Rome, said: "As a Catholic, I am appalled by the attitude of the Pope. Religious leaders should be trying to eradicate inequality, not perpetuate it."

The Pope is expected to tour the UK this year, and opposition to his visit is already gathering pace.

President of the National Secular Society Terry Sanderson said: "The taxpayer in this country is going to be faced with a bill of some £20m for the visit of the Pope - a visit in which he has already indicated he will attack equal rights and promote discrimination."

The National Secular Society have launched a petition "Make The Pope Pay - Say No to State funded visit" in response to the Pope's proposed UK visit. Over 16, 000 people have signed it, to add your name, click here.

To sign the 10 Downing Street Petition to highlight that the Pope's homophobia and transphobia is not welcome in the UK, click here.

The Equality Minister Harriet Harman has since told the House of Commons that the government will leave the law as it is, and not continue to seek amendments, which would have meant that religious establishments could not deny employment to people applying for youth worker or administration positions on the grounds of their sexual orientation.

But what does this mean for people who are trying to balance their Catholicism and their sexuality?

Many people in the lesbian, gay and bisexual community struggle to balance their faith and their sexuality, but there is help at hand.

Quest is a support group for lesbian, gay and bisexual Catholics, the group provides opportunities for Catholic LGB's to meet together for worship, discussion and study. Quest is also a vital point of contact for any gay or bisexual Catholic in need of reassurance and support.

The Pope's disapproval of The Equality Bill highlights that now more than ever, we need to clarify peoples' rights concerning sexual orientation and faith.

Dennis Baldwin, Consultancy and Training Manager at the LGF said: "We're finding that the issues of sexual orientation in relation to faith are repeatedly coming up. There also seems to be some confusion regarding the impending Single Equalities Bill as it winds its way through government, as a result we are delivering two masterclasses."

Masterclass: Keep The Faith
Faith and sexual orientation - led by Paul Martin, Chief Executive and Andrew Gilliver Communications Manager, The Lesbian & Gay Foundation.
When: 10:00am - 1.00pm on Wednesday 14th July 2010
Where: The Lesbian & Gay Foundation, Princess House, Manchester M1 6DD
Cost: £99 per participant

Many employers find it difficult to reconcile the sometimes conflicting needs and rights between sexual orientation and faith within their organisations.

This Masterclass will explore issues that are associated between these two equality strands, clarifying the appropriate legislation and highlighted with past case-studies. There will be opportunities to discuss the viewpoints and beliefs of different religions/faiths, the common conflicts encountered and ways of addressing these.

This session will also consider how LGB people of faith have successfully integrated their religious beliefs with their sexual orientation. This masterclass is for anyone wishing to foster supportive and accessible organisations that value and celebrate the full diversity of their work-force and service users. For more information, or to book your place, email: dennis.baldwin@lgf.org.uk or call 0161 235 8035.

Masterclass: Bill Please!
Sexual Orientation and the single equalities bill - led by Paul Martin, Chief Executive and Sian Payne, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, The Lesbian & Gay Foundation.
When: 10:00am - 1.00pm on Wednesday 28th July 2010
Where: The Lesbian & Gay Foundation, Princess House, Manchester M1 6DD
Cost: £99 per participant
For more info, click here.

Let us know your experiences, whether you successfully balance your sexuality and faith or find it difficult to, tell us your story! Please post your experiences in the comments box below or email Andrew Gilliver confidentially: andrew@lgf.org.uk.