A column in the independent Church of England Newspaper compares gay
rights campaigners to Nazis
Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent
Wednesday November 9 2011
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/08/anglican-newspaper-defends-gaystapo-article
An Anglican newspaper has defended the publication of an article that
compares gay rights campaigners to Nazis [http://www.alansangle.com/"
title="], saying the author has "pertinent views".
The column, by the former east London councillor Alan Craig, appeared
in the 28 October edition of the Church of England Newspaper, one of
the oldest newspapers in the world. Although it is independent of the
institution bearing the same name, it carries adverts for Church of
England jobs and is read by its clergy.
In his column, Craig referred to a number of high-profile legal cases
where Christians claim to have been penalised for their views on
homosexuality.
He wrote: "Having forcibly ? and understandably ? rectified the
Versailles-type injustices and humiliations foisted on the homosexual
community, the UK's victorious Gaystapo are now on a roll. Their gay-
rights stormtroopers take no prisoners as they annex our wider
culture, hotel owners, registrars, magistrates, doctors, counsellors,
foster parents and find themselves crushed under the pink jack-boot.
"Thanks especially to the green light from a permissive New Labour
government, the gay Wehrmacht is on its long march through the
institutions and has already occupied the Sudetenland social uplands
of the Home Office, the educational establishment, the politically-
correct police. Following a plethora of equalities legislation,
homosexuals are now protected and privileged by sexual orientation
regulations and have achieved legal equality by way of civil
partnerships. But it's only 1938 and Nazi expansionist ambitions are
far from sated."
Craig told the Guardian he was "pretty careful" to distinguish between
the leadership of gay rights groups and "ordinary gay people".
"I've nothing against ordinary gay people but the leadership, well I
stick by my word Gaystapo. It is bullying. I oppose bullying and
hatred in all its forms. There is no justification for the bullying or
intimidation of gays and that has been rectified in law, but we've
moved on to a new game. We're now seeing these attitudes of
intolerance they accuse their opponents of."
The weekly paper, which was founded [http://
www.religiousintelligence.org/churchnewspaper/about-est-1828/"
title="] in 1828 and has a circulation of around 8,000, takes pride in
its reputation of being a "bastion of conservative evangelicalism".
Its editor, Colin Blakely, defended the "Gaystapo" article.
"He has got views that are pertinent on this issue. I was on holiday
that week and if I had seen it I would have asked him to tone the
language down somewhat. We're getting a lot of correspondence on this
column. He has not won a lot of support with readers and we're
publishing letters. We want people to engage with the issue."
Ben Summerskill, the Stonewall [http://www.stonewall.org.uk/" title="]
chief executive, condemned the column and the newspaper. "Given the
horrific circumstances of the Holocaust, it is deeply disturbing and
highly offensive that the Church of England Newspaper has chosen to
compare supporters of equality with Nazis. We are sure that many of
the paper's advertisers, such as the University of Sheffield, will be
deeply disturbed to read this crass and homophobic article."
There is an increased perception among some Christian groups that it
is harder for the devout to live out their faith because of
legislation such as the Equality Act. Christian guesthouse owners
Peter and Hazelmary Bull are in court this week trying to overturn
[http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/11/08/hotel-gay-couple-
snub-christian-guest-house-owners-appeal-unlawful-
ruling-115875-23546594/#ixzz1d7nUTahF" title="] a ruling that they
broke the law by refusing to allow a gay couple to stay in a double
room, while a group of politicians and peers are holding "select
committee style" hearings [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/10/
christian-mp-inquiry-religious-discrimination?INTCMP=SRCH"
title="">"select committee style] to establish whether or not British
laws discriminate against Christians.
guardian.co.uk Copyright (c) Guardian News and Media Limited. 2011
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