Zenon Grocholewski - cool name, Cardinal, pity about the gob-smacking homophobia - did little to convince the Captain to change his views on organised religion this week. This is the prefect of the Catholic Education(!) Congregation, who recently described homosexuality as "a deviation, an irregularity, a wound'' - even when a gay man is celibate. His comments came in a week when the Catholic Church's descent into complete irrelevance to any civilized, intelligent, compassionate and independent-thinking person continued apace with the Vatican reinforcing its ban on gay priests by publishing a series of guidelines recommending psychological examinations for all candidates for the priesthood - a sensible precaution if you are going to insist on celibacy for your all-male workforce
...I am often accused of all manner of politically incorrect verbal indelicacies by assorted acolytes of the liberal multicultural establishment. At the forefront of this assorted gaggle of accusers is the deputy leader of Barking & Dagenham Council and prominent Labour councillor, Liam Smith. From Islamophobia right through to homophobia, you name it, Cllr Smith has cast the stone.
As such can you imagine my surprise yesterday, when glancing at the London Life newspaper and being confronted with the following headline, " Labour councillor is cautioned for fat lesbian insult". Accompanying this shocking little story was a picture of a chubby, bearded character, which at first sight seemed to vindicate the headline. Within seconds however, the reality dawned upon me, as it
..."Stick and stones may break my bones but calling will not hurt me
" Such is the mantra of the taunted, the ridiculed, the derided the scoffed-at. It is a childhood rhyme that could not hide its transparency even when quoted with defiance and it usually evoked further contemptuous laughter from the jeering perpetrators. I can remember quite vividly, as a child, the burning shame of being identified, of being singled-out from the crowd as a target for mockery, despite my concerted efforts to disappear in to the washed-out greyness of conformity. But, let's face it, I was ripe for picking; I was the biggest pouf in school.
Thirty-odd years later and several dozen therapy sessions behind me I look back at that schoolyard persecution and I imagine that I would stand my ground instead of cowering
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US bishops try to find compromise on gay clergy
Stephen Bates in New Orleans
Monday September 24, 2007
Guardian
Senior Anglican church officials and American bishops were last night meeting in New Orleans to draft a statement aimed at keeping the US Episcopal Church within the worldwide communion in the face of attacks from conservative church members over the Americans' attempt to remain welcoming towards gays.
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Guardian Unlimited Guardian News and Media Limited 2007
...Australian politicians back Christians over gay marriage
19th September 2007 14:14
PinkNews.co.uk writer
The Prime Minister of Australia has addressed an event organised by a faith-based charity where he faced calls to ban state recognition of non-married couples.
The National Strategic Summit on Marriage, Family & Fatherhood was held at the Australian Parliament yesterday.
Prime Minister John Howard told delegates that marriage is "the best social welfare device mankind has ever devised."
Politicians from other major parties attended the conference, organised by the Fatherhood Foundation.
It ended with a demand that the federal government amend the Marriage Act to ban states from recognising same-sex or de facto straight relationships in the same way as heterosexual marriages.
Mr Howard's
Homophobic attacker may be evicted
19th September 2007 12:37
Georgina Roberts
A youth who took part in a vicious assault on two lesbian friends of popstar Ana Matronic may be evicted from her home.
Three young people, aged between 18 and 20, were found guilty of attacking Nina Meffen, 36 and Carol Cashmore, 42, in their driveway on the evening of 31st July last year.
Hyde Housing Association, which owns Emer Close, the location of the attack and home to both the victims and the ringleader of the group, says it will be "pursuing further action against those Hyde residents found guilty of the crime and ultimately this could lead to eviction."
The brutal assualt, which left Ms Meffen with bruising and a broken nose and Ms Cashmore with concussion, took place on the couple's driveway and was witnessed
Archbishop criticised for demanding gay concessions
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-5496.html
Archbishop calls secret service for gay clergy to halt slide towards schism
Dr Rowan Williams is just returning from a three-month break, but the secret communion is bound to destabilise his position further
Dr Rowan Williams is just returning from a three-month break, but the secret communion is bound to destabilise his position further
Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent of The Times
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to hold a secret Communion service for gay clergy and their partners in London.
Dr Williams will celebrate the eucharist at St Peter's, Eaton Square the Church of England parish that is known as the spiritual home to some of the country's most liberal and wealthy Anglican elite. There he will give an address titled "Present realities and future possibilities
Gay shrinks get conversion therapist booted from conference
A group of gay and lesbian psychiatrists successfully campaigned to remove a conversion therapist from an Austrian mental health conference.
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