Britain: Pope opposes anti-homophobia laws

"Gay-rights campaigners and secularists called on Tuesday for protests during a visit to Britain by Pope Benedict XVI this year after he condemned equality legislation seen as friendly to gays", AFP said on February 1.

AFP reported that observers said the pope was referring to legislation that took effect on January 1, 2009 preventing adoption agencies — including Catholic ones — from discriminating against gay couples.

The pope said that equal opportunity laws designed to prevent discrimination by employers against gay people "impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs".

Gay rights activist Peter Tatchell said the pope's remarks were an attack on the legal rights granted to gay people and women.

"His ill-informed claim that our equality laws undermine religious freedom suggests that he supports the right of churches to discriminate in accordance with their religious ethos.

"He seems to be defending discrimination by religious institutions and demanding that they should be above the law."

From GLW issue 825