KENILWORTH, 3 APRIL 2005 — Reacting to the death of Pope John Paul II, the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) said he would go down in gay history as one of the most implacable homophobes of all time.
GALHA secretary George Broadhead said: “The Pope’s opposition to gay relationships and gay rights has been relentless throughout his 26-year tenure of office, culminating in his book published this year in which same-sex marriage is described as part of an ‘ideology of evil’. His catechism condemns gay relationships as ‘intrinsically disordered’ and a ‘grave depravity’. In 2003, he even went so far as urging gay children and their parents to seek psychiatric treatment. More heinously, his opposition to the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV has condemned millions of people to an agonising death. He will be recorded in gay history as one of the most implacable homophobes of all time.
“Since it was founded in 1979 (shortly after the Pope’s accession) GALHA has promoted the gay-friendly humanist outlook and spoken out strongly against religious homophobia in all its forms. On the occasion of the Pope’s visit to the UK in 1982, we were the only gay group to mount a protest.
“On his death, the Pope has been credited by Tony Blair and others for having spoken out against social injustice – thus totally ignoring his persecution of gays.
“No self-respecting, rational-thinking gay person can be expected to mourn the Pope’s demise, or be at all optimistic that his successor will take a more sympathetic approach.”