A report from the Health Education Authority which claims that religious organisations have a part to play in the treatment of mental health has been condemned by the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA).
The report, Promoting Mental Health: the role of faith communities, claims that “religious leaders should play a key role in challenging the stigma” which is attached to mental and emotional distress, but GALHA spokesperson George Broadhead said: “In relation to gay people, this is dangerous nonsense. Religious leaders and many of their followers cause untold mental anguish to gay people with their intolerance and bible-based condemnations. There have been cases in which vulnerable young gays who have been the target of homophobia from religious individuals and institutions have killed themselves. This report recommends that people with mental health problems seek support in their local church or synagogue, but for many gays this would result not in an alleviation but an exacerbation of their problem. For them religion is the problem – not the answer.
Mr Broadhead cited the ex-gay movement, a coalition of Christian groups which claims to be able to ‘cure’ lesbians and gays of their homosexuality through prayer and counselling. “This movement has caused immense suffering to gays confused about their sexuality. It has increased their feelings of guilt and sometimes made them suicidal.
“Take the case of Simon Harvey, son of George Harvey who runs a so-called counselling service for gays in East Anglia. Simon killed himself because he couldn’t reconcile his homosexuality with the stance taken by his evangelical Christian father. More recently, a young man in Rotherham killed himself after listening to the American evangelist Pat Robertson condemning homosexual relationships – a tragedy brought to light by the coroner at the inquest.
“The HEA report says that vicars and rabbis should avoid being homophobic and be ‘non-judgemental’, but this is absurd since a majority of Christian clergy and Orthodox Jewish rabbis base their stance on homosexual practices firmly on the scriptural teachings which condemn such practices outright – a stance clearly demonstrated at the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops – and the strong opposition of church leaders – Anglican, Roman Catholic and Jewish – to the lowering of the gay age of consent.
“Far from seeking help in a church or synagogue, distressed gays should run a mile from them.”