The Archbishop of Canterbury says the Church needs to face up to the sexual revolution and develop a teaching programme for its schools.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Justin Welby has approached the gay rights group, Stonewall, for help.
Archbishop Welby insists the Church is not changing its beliefs about sexual ethics, but must accept an overwhelming change in cultural attitudes.
Revolution
He said: “The cultural and political ground is changing. There is a revolution.
“Anyone who listened, as I did, to much of the Same Sex Marriage Bill Second Reading Debate in the House of Lords could not fail to be struck by the overwhelming change of cultural hinterland.”
He added: “We may or may not like it but we must accept that there is a revolution in the area of sexuality.”
Change
And he said more should be done to tackle “homophobic behaviour or anything that looks like it”.
He said: “With nearly a million children educated in our schools we not only must demonstrate a profound commitment to stamp out such stereotyping and bullying; but we must also take action.
“We are therefore developing a programme for use in our schools, taking the best advice we can find anywhere, that specifically targets such bullying.”
Cynical
The Archbishop also said: “In some things we change course and recognise the new context. Revolutions change culture.
“In others we stand firm because truth is not set by culture, nor morals by fashion.”
Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall, said: “Of course we will always help an education provider in helping to tackle homophobic bullying in schools and there are already several dozen Church of England schools working with Stonewall.
“But the cynic would be tempted to think perhaps that the Archbishop is trying to distract attention from his failure to engage gay people – when they requested it over the issue of marriage.”