Faith rally over gay rights bill

Religious groups are to protest outside Parliament in an attempt to halt legislation banning discrimination against lesbians and gay men.

Organisers say the Sexual Orientation Regulations would limit their right to live according to religious beliefs.

In the House of Lords, peers are to debate a motion calling for the regulations, already in force in Northern Ireland, to be annulled.

Outside, Christians, Jews and Muslims will gather for a torch-lit protest.

The rally is to be held in Old Palace Yard opposite the St Stephen's entrance to the House of Lords, Westminster from 1730 GMT to 2000 GMT. It is due to start when the Lords debate the motion.

Several thousand people are expected to take part.

The legislation would ban discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services on the basis of sexuality.

Hotels could be prosecuted for refusing to provide rooms for gay couples and parishes obliged to rent out halls for gay wedding receptions.

Equally, gay bars would not be able to ban straight couples.

Thomas Cordrey, barrister and public policy analyst with the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship, said: "The debate in the Lords is a signal to the government of the need to acknowledge these regulations do not currently strike the correct balance between two competing rights.

"Christians have no desire to discriminate unjustly on the grounds of sexual orientation, but they cannot and must not be forced to actively condone and promote sexual practices which the Bible teaches are wrong.

"It is a fundamental matter of freedom of conscience," Mr Cordrey said.

Rally organiser Ade Omooba said: "Senior lawyers have expressed the view that unless these regulations are amended, they will outlaw discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, only to replace it with discrimination on the grounds of religion."

Under the new regulations, protestors say the right to religious belief could be discriminated against in the following examples:

* A Christian, Jewish or Muslim printer could be legally forced to print a flyer for a gay night club or gay pride march and would be denied the right to refuse carry out the work as a matter of religious conscience.

* A Christian, Jewish or Muslim teacher could be breaking the law if they seek to promote heterosexual marriage instead of homosexual civil partnership - even if homosexuality is at odds with the teacher's faith

* A Christian, Jewish or Muslim IT consultant could be forced to build a website promoting gay rights.

But gay rights group OutRage! accused religious leaders of "scaremongering, lies and hypocrisy".

Peter Tatchell told BBC News "These regulations do not legalise, or illegalise, people's beliefs.

"They do not impinge on what people believe, on opinions they express, on attitudes or values.

"People are still free to hold their beliefs, to live their lives according to their own morality and... their own religious beliefs. The law proposed does not change that one iota.

"All it does is extend to lesbian and gay people the same protection against discrimination as is already existing to protect women, black people and Christians, Jews, Muslims and other people of faith."

A Christian, Jewish or Muslim printer could be legally forced to print a flyer for a gay night club or gay pride march and would be denied the right to refuse carry out the work as a matter of religious conscience.

* A Christian, Jewish or Muslim teacher could be breaking the law if they seek to promote heterosexual marriage instead of homosexual civil partnership - even if homosexuality is at odds with the teacher's faith

* A Christian, Jewish or Muslim IT consultant could be forced to build a website promoting gay rights.

* A Christian, Jewish or Muslim IT consultant could be forced to build a website promoting gay rights.

What I REALLY get steamed over is how most homophobes, whether religious, blue-collar or a bit of both in nature, seem to think that this amounts to homosexuals having MORE rights and privelages than heterosexuals. This apparently creates a huge class division that they are getting the short end of the stick on, just because they're trying to secure certain basic rights and opportunities.

I honestly can't believe discrimination of this type isn't ALREADY illegal under other legislation.

It's the same mentality of racists that say <insert minority here> have more privileges than they do. Just a different flavor.

I honestly can't believe discrimination of this type isn't ALREADY illegal under other legislation.

Did you call him a moron? How do you deal with people like that in person?

Do you get slapped around a lot?

I usually call them morons, but in a more carefully worded way than I do here. My behaviour in real-life is more tactful than it is here but I still tend to say the same basic things. I've said things like "You really should have spent more time in school" or "Too bad you never got a real education" to someone's face before.

No. I have a mesomorph build and I'm fairly solid-looking. Besides, I move in normal adult society, not the biker underworld or the dipshit high school environment where people just get into fights all the time with no legal consequences.

Do you get slapped around a lot?

Huh? Are you honestly in fear that if you say 'no, that's stupid' or 'go back to school' someone is going to hit you? How rough exactly is Melbourne?