The interpretation of sacred texts should be challenged, ‘queer theology’ should be promoted in seminaries and Sunday schools should talk about abortion, according to a report from a taxpayer-funded group.
The extraordinary remarks came in a document from Wilton Park, a foreign affairs discussion organisation, tied to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Dismissing marriage as “part of heteronormative society”, it affirms polyamorous and bisexual relationships and suggests the words “male” and “female” are not the only way to describe gender.
Well-financed
The report was produced after a meeting on the “intersection of faith and human rights of LGBTI+ persons” – attended by 64 unnamed people from 27 countries.
It was formed in association with the Arcus Foundation, a well-financed pro-LGBT group which has previously given money to homosexual lobby group Stonewall.
‘Hatred’
The report claims that “people of faith” are responsible for “hatred, prejudice, and discrimination” against LGBT people.
Its solutions include:
• “challenging the interpretation of sacred texts”;
• Promoting “queer theology” in seminaries;
• Telling Western churches to “stipulate” that money sent to congregations in the developing world “is not used for the promotion of hatred”.
• And encouraging Sunday school teachers to “address sexual and reproductive health and rights” – often a euphemism for abortion.
‘Fellow apes’
Wilton Park was founded over seventy years ago and regularly hosts discussions on controversial issues – in May it had a meeting on measuring “abortion quality”.
It is an executive agency, sponsored by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is taxpayer-funded, and is ultimately accountable to the Foreign Secretary.
The Arcus Foundation states that one of its aims is to “ensure that LGBT people and our fellow apes thrive in a world where social and environmental justice are a reality”.
Transsexual funding
Its latest accounts, from 2015, show it received over $30 million in contributions.
Last year it sought to “educate” people in America against so-called bathroom bills, claiming they were “anti-trans”.
In 2015 BuzzFeed reported that the Foundation contributed $15m to transsexual causes worldwide.
Last month the organisation announced financial backing to counter “conservative religious voices” in Africa.