July 14th 2023.
The Church of England has been bitterly divided on the subject of same-sex marriage for decades now. Ten years since the landmark Marriage Act was passed in 2013, the debate was once again ignited earlier this year. The House of Bishops proposed 'prayers of dedication' and 'thanksgiving' for civil marriages of same-sex couples.
While some saw this as a 'new beginning', many others were outraged that LGBTQ+ weddings were still banned in church, especially considering 78% of Britons now support same-sex marriage, compared to just 42% in 2011 according to YouGov polling. Jayne Ozanne, the government’s former LGBT+ equality adviser, tabled a motion for the provision for equal marriage legislation to be brought back to the General Synod this month. She believes this proposal inflicts further harm on the LGBT+ community.
"It adds to our pain," she says. "I think the general public looks on the church wondering why it’s preaching a message of love, while discriminating against those who do that, and I can’t see much of a future for the institution if it carries on doing so."
Rachel Gillingham, 37, is a former Bible study leader at St Luke’s Church in London’s Kentish Town. She was removed from her congregation in 2017 for coming out and expressing her support for equal marriage. At the time, she was criticised for being too visible and open as a gay person and that backing equal marriage within the Church of England was unacceptable.
Rachel says that losing her community for expressing her sexuality was devastating and made her question the foundations of Christianity. She has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder ever since, and believes the Church of England needs to recognise the harm it inflicts on LGBT+ people through its policies and lack of transparency.
Charlie Bell, 33, is a priest from London who is waiting until the church allows gay weddings before he marries his partner Piotr Baczyk, 27. Charlie says the fact that they can’t get married is painful and that it feels like the church is devaluing their relationship. He believes the bishops’ proposal is disappointing, but not surprising, as it makes same-sex couples feel like second-class citizens.
At the moment, clergy can’t even enter into civil same-sex marriages without risking their job. This shows the Church of England is viewing the LGBT+ community as a problem, not people.
The Church of England needs to recognise the harm it is inflicting on the LGBT+ community, and make real progress in allowing equal marriage. Until then, many LGBTQ+ Christians will continue to feel unwelcome in the church.
The Church of England has been bitterly divided for decades over the issue of same-sex marriage. In 2013, the landmark Marriage Act was passed, but the debate on the issue was reignited earlier this year when the House of Bishops proposed "prayers of dedication" and "thanksgiving" for civil same-sex marriages.
The proposal was approved by the General Synod in February, but many are outraged, especially since 78% of Britons now support same-sex marriage, compared to 42% in 2011 according to YouGov polling. Jayne Ozanne, the government's former LGBT+ equality adviser, tabled a motion for equal marriage legislation to be brought back to the General Synod this month, saying the bishops' latest proposal inflicts further harm on the LGBT+ community.
Rachel Gillingham, 37, is a former Bible study leader at St Luke’s Church in London’s Kentish Town who was kicked out after coming out. Rachel says she was criticised for being too visible and open as a gay person, and was told that having sex with another woman was a sin. It was only after her dismissal that a report found pastoral failings in how the situation had been handled, and recommended a clear policy on sex and relationships.
Rachel says the Church of England needs to recognise the harm it inflicts on LGBT+ people, as this new proposal proclaims they are not equal to the rest of the church. She says this has also impacted her faith in the institution, making her question why God would allow this kind of discrimination.
Charlie Bell, 33, a London-based priest, is waiting for the church to allow gay weddings before he marries his partner Piotr Baczyk, 27. He says the fact they can't get married is painful and a sign of them being devalued as a couple. He also claims the church is willing to make the most of him and Piotr as the vicar's partner, yet they cannot enter into a civil same-sex marriage as he could lose his job if he did.
It's clear that the Church of England needs to make a change in order to provide a safe and accepting environment for LGBT+ people. Until then, the institution will continue to inflict pain and harm on the community, which is why it's so important for the church to take a stand and make a positive difference.
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