November 18th 2024.
It has been brought to light that a former member of the leadership team at a British LGBTQ+ church has been accused of sexual abuse by a number of queer Christians. These individuals have also accused the church leaders of trying to cover up the incidents. According to the alleged victims, the abuse occurred at Sunday services and social functions over a period of 13 months. Shockingly, there are at least 18 alleged victims, with eight of them having reported the abuse to the church pastor, and three witnesses.
One of the victims shared their experience, stating that the former leader would often come up behind them and touch their arm, chest, and even squeeze and pinch their side down to their buttocks and thighs. Another victim recalled that they had accepted this behavior because they had witnessed the leader doing the same to other members of the church. It wasn't until December 2022 that one of the victims finally spoke up and reported the abuse to the church pastor. However, the pastor dismissed the allegations, claiming that the accused was simply a "hugger" and that it was just an "older guy thing." This response was deemed inappropriate by one of the victims, who stated that it was the pastor's responsibility as the safeguarding lead to take action and prevent the situation from escalating.
In November 2023, another victim reported a separate incident to the pastor, but again, the pastor dismissed it as an "old guy thing" over WhatsApp. Despite further allegations being made over the next year, the LGBTQ+ church only informed the district church in January 2024. During the district's inquiry, the investigator and co-founder of the LGBTQ+ church claimed to be satisfied with the accused individual's response and decided not to remove them from their position. This decision was met with criticism from one of the alleged victims, who pointed out that if the behavior had been challenged and stopped earlier, it could have prevented further incidents.
In an attempt to gather evidence, the district investigator asked one of the alleged victims if they would be comfortable having their testimony seen by the pastor. However, this request was met with disappointment and frustration from the victim, who felt like the church was trying to downplay the severity of the situation. The investigator's response, stating that hugging and kissing on the neck were common practices in some cultures, was seen by one of the alleged victims as a way of saying "you know how gays are, they're touchy-touchy." This was considered to be gaslighting by a representative of the victims, who also criticized the church for taking away the one tool that could help identify and prevent abuse.
After threats of going to the press, the pastor finally removed the leader on January 31. However, during a service in April 2024, a district reverend declared that the investigation was completed. This statement was met with anger and frustration from an alleged victim, who spoke up and shared their experience of being sexually assaulted in the same room. The reverend's response, threatening to call the police, only added to the victims' distress. They were then escorted out of the service and cut off from all church communications in the following weeks.
When asked for a comment, the LGBTQ+ church shared a statement from the district, claiming that they had taken swift action to ensure the safety of the community. However, the statement also mentioned that the investigation had found no ongoing risk in relation to the original allegation. This was met with criticism from the victims, who claimed that during the second inquiry, they were never spoken to by the investigators. The church's website also states that they are currently on a pause from gathering, and the accused individual is no longer listed as a team member. The police have arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion of sexual assault and are continuing their inquiries.
It is disheartening to see the church's failure to address and handle the situation appropriately, causing further pain and distress to the victims. The fact that security guards were hired to stop the alleged victims from attending a meeting to discuss the findings is shocking. Fortunately, one of the victims was able to invite a councillor as an independent observer, who was appalled by the way the investigators compared the incidents to other sexual crimes and diminished their severity. The victims continue to seek justice and healing, while the LGBTQ+ church is taking the necessary time and space to process and rebuild.
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