Carey’s Assurance “Hollow Cant”

The Archbishop of Canterbury has said he is “very alarmed” about the new attempt to lower the gay age of consent to 16 and, according to reports, he intends to oppose it further in the House of Lords. However, he has denied being homophobic.

His comments, made on Radio 2’s Jimmy Young programme, should come as no surprise, says the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association. They are consistent with his strong opposition to the age of consent reform publicly expressed before the House of Lords debate, and his support for the anti-gay motion overwhelmingly carried at the Lambeth Conference.

“Dr Carey’s repeated assurance that he is not homophobic is just hollow cant”, says GALHA secretary George Broadhead. “He is clearly in tune with Anglican traditionalists in their opposition to gay rights but paying lip service to the liberals by having token meetings with lesbian and gay Christians.

“Rather than hobnobbing with Dr Carey over tea at Lambeth Palace, the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement should be demanding that he condemn the violent words used by African bishops at the Anglican Conference, and treat lesbian and gay rights as human rights.

“Lesbians and gays should heed the words of the Rev Giles Fraser, chaplain to Wadham College, who said in The Daily Telegraph: ‘If I were gay I wouldn’t go within 100 yards of a church. The disgusting homophobia shocks and terrifies me’.”