■  OutRage! member Peter Tatchell debates with a clergyman at the protest outside the launch meeting of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (Foca), a group opposing the full participation of women and gay people in the Anglican Communion. photo: Outrage!

LONDON, July 2, 2008  –  “This breakaway Anglican faction is fundamentalist, homophobic and sexist.  It opposes equal rights for women and gay people, and is allied with hard-line church leaders whose bigoted teachings are fuelling anti-gay witch-hunts in many countries.”

The condemnation comes from human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, who yesterday (July 1) picketed a meeting at All Soul’s Church in London of the newly-formed Anglican fundamentalist sect, the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FOCA).

Mr Tatchell was joined by his OutRage! African colleague Brett Lock and gay Christian and Ugandan gay rights activist, Kizza Musinguzi.

When they tried to enter the church, they were violently ejected.  Mr Tatchell was punched in the chest by a church steward.

“Archbishop Peter Akinola is backing the state-sponsored persecution of lesbians and gays in Nigeria,” Mr. Tatchell said today.

“He is orchestrating a wicked victimisation campaign against the Nigerian gay Christian leader, Davis Mac-Iyalla, Director of Changing Attitude Nigeria.

“The Archisbishop of Uganda, Henry Orombi, has stirred up prejudice against gay Ugandans in a society where anti-gay hatred and violence is rife.  In 2006, he excommunicated a heterosexual bishop, Christopher Senyonjo, because he defended gay people against persecution.

“Jesus Christ is recorded in The Bible as condemning many sins but he never once condemned homosexuality.  The anti-gay campaign of the breakaway Anglican leaders is a perversion of Christ’s gospel of love and compassion.  These splitters are Old Testament fundamentalists, not true followers of Jesus Christ,” concluded Mr Tatchell.

Kizza Musinguzi is a gay member of the Anglican Church of Uganda.

He has witnessed first hand the homophobic campaign by his church leaders.

Mr Musinguzi was jailed and tortured in Uganda because of his gay rights activism.  He is currently seeking asylum in the UK.

“The church is supposed to be all-loving,” he said.

“It is not acceptable that it has one set of rights for straight Christians and a lesser set of rights for gay Christians.

“When Archbishop Orombi takes a stand against gay people, he signals to the population that it is okay to discriminate against gay people,” Mr. Mr Musinguzi insisted.

“He supports Uganda’s vicious anti-gay laws, which stipulate life imprisonment for consenting same-sex relationships.  Orombi is encouraging prejudice and hatred.

“His victimisation of Bishop Senyonjo is cruel and vindictive.

“Gay people in Uganda face imprisonment, torture and mob violence.  Many are driven out their communities and left destitute.  The government excludes gay people from its HIV programmes, leaving them to die without medication.

“The Church of Uganda is exacerbating this homophobia, neglect and persecution” Mr Musinguzi pointed out.

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