Church of England faces calls to condemn gay cure and hold transgender renaming services

May 26, 2017 by Jill

by Harry Farley, Christian Today:

The Church of England will be asked to denounce gay conversion, consider special services for transgender people and re-examine its teaching on marriage as between one man and one women in a raft of measures to be debated at its forthcoming General Synod meeting in July.

In its first meeting since the surprise rejection of a bishops’ report recommending keeping the status quo on marriage, the CofE’s parliament will debate whether to join medical experts and condemn so-called ‘gay cures’ as ‘unethical, harmful’ and having ‘no place in the modern world’.

Tabled by senior synod member Jayne Ozanne, the private members motion has received strong support from synod members. But it is likely to be fiercely opposed by a small segment of hardline conservatives.

Ozanne, a gay rights activist on synod, told Christian Today: ‘It is incredibly important that religious organisations follow the clear lead set by the health care professions in standing against this highly damaging and unethical practice, which reinforces stigma and prejudice against the LGBTI community.

‘The Bible teaches that we are each fearfully and wonderfully made, and we should therefore look to celebrate God’s gift of diversity in creation not treat those of us who are non-heterosexual as having mental disorders that need to be “cured”.’

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