Gay Humanists to Protest Against Plans for Papal Visit to Britain

London - 24th September 2009

The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) plans to demonstrate outside the Labour Party conference in Brighton next week in protest against Gordon Brown's plans to invite Pope Benedict on a state visit to Britain. The Pope's visit would include a formal reception at Buckingham Palace and meetings with the Prime Minister and other officials and dignitaries.

GALHA has long noted with concern the Pope's role in promoting doctrinaire positions which often have deeply harmful consequences. These include:

- Resistance to the distribution of condoms as a means of reducing the spread of AIDS, in the teeth of scientific evidence

- Opposition to all forms of effective birth control, even where parents and societies are unable to make adequate provision for children

- Denying even the most vulnerable women the right to a legal abortion as the 'lesser evil'

- Relentless opposition to gay rights, including any recognition of gay partnerships

- Support for maintaining segregated education for Catholics and other religious groups, contributing to social division

- Failure adequately to address and make amends for the many documented cases of abuse committed by Catholic priests around the world

GALHA Secretary David Christmas commented:

"As a European citizen and leader of a religious group with a significant following in the UK, the Pope is of course welcome to visit Britain, provided that he obeys our laws. However, the idea that he should be feted and lauded as some kind of hero is a direct insult to all of those people whose lives have been blighted by his extreme doctrinal positions."

"It also beggars belief, that at a time of great financial hardship for millions of ordinary people, Gordon Brown should even be contemplating a costly state-funded jamboree in honour of a man whose statements and actions are often so pernicious."

"In particular, most of the rights that gay people have gained in Britain have been secured in the teeth of opposition from the Vatican. The church that claims that sex should be part of a loving and committed relationship has bitterly opposed any recognition of such relationships between gay people. Gay couples offering to devote themselves to bringing up children have been snubbed. The message, perversely is that love and commitment count for nothing if you happen to be gay."

"If the Pope does visit Britain, then we hope that he will at least take the opportunity to apologise to gay people and to the other groups whom he and his predecessors have insulted and wronged on so many occasions."

"Conversely the Pope appears to believe that denying condoms to people in deprived countries will miraculously convert them to life-long monogamy. The millions of dead across Africa are testament to the hollowness of this claim. What is particularly shameful is that the victims, especially children, are often blameless even when judged by the Pope's own criteria."

If the Pope's state visit does take place, then GALHA will be to the fore in protests against the deeply reactionary and harmful nature of his doctrines.

For further details of next week's protests, please contact Secretary@GALHA.ORG.