New Poll Results Show Government's Proposed Sexual Orientation Laws Are Out Of Step With Public Opinion

Andrea Williams
Andrea Williams

In the wake of recent press coverage (see The Telegraph (21st Nov), the Daily Mail (21st Nov)) criticising the Government's back-door introduction of far reaching laws on sexual orientation, a new opinion poll commissioned by the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship reveals the Government's latest legislative proposals are out of step with public opinion.

In an independent poll of 1000 adults in Britain, more than 7 in 10 agreed with the statement that "Any law requiring people to promote homosexual practice should be applied selectively so as to ensure that people with strong religious beliefs are not forced to act against their conscience". This contrasts starkly with the Government's use of their direct rule powers in Northern Ireland to fast-track laws making it illegal to discriminate on the ground of sexual orientation (see LCF Press release 17/11/06).

The Government have ignored concerns voiced by many faith groups in Northern Ireland, known for the strongly held religious beliefs of its inhabitants, and applied the Sexual Orientation Regulations (SORs) to all commercial and even voluntary sector service providers, with no exception on the grounds of individual conscience for religious believers. The result is that it will force many who hold religious beliefs out of their jobs and out of the voluntary services which they provide.

The Northern Ireland SORs, published by the Government on the 8th November and due to be in force by 1st January, will make it illegal for a printing shop run by a strong Catholic family to turn away a homosexual who demands they print fliers promoting gay sex. Alarm is growing at the prospect of the standard £500-£5000 tariff for a one-off offence, rising to £5000-£15,000 if the unlawful incident occurs on two or more occasions.

The poll also revealed that a large majority (66% compared to 28%) agreed that: "The law should not discriminate against religious groups in order to promote gay rights". With concerns mounting that the lack of protection for freedom of conscience for Christians, Jews and Muslims could breach the European Convention on Human Rights, Thomas Cordrey from the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship commented "The proposed Sexual Orientation Regulations display a startling contradiction. They are introduced under the Equality Act and yet with the same sweep of the brush that creates a right to non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, they discriminate heavily against Christians by forcing them to promote and assist homosexual practice contrary to the clear teaching of the Bible. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that the Government believes the right to equality is somehow weaker for someone who holds a religious belief".

A firm majority of the 1000 people questioned also agreed that "The Government should do more to protect traditional family and marriage values and less to promote gay and lesbian lifestyle" and that "The Government should not legislate to promote one moral view over another". These results further indicating that the Government's time and effort spent on the SORs is not supported by the majority of the population. Mr Cordrey added "It is clear that what the populace really want from their Government are genuine efforts and initiatives to support the stability of families and marriage for the upbringing and education of children. This does not mean discriminating on the grounds of sexual orientation, it means focusing time and effort on promoting and encouraging what has proven over many centuries to be the best environment for families and a healthy society to grow - marriage between a man and a woman."

If you feel strongly about the above issues, you can call the following people to urge them to recognise the level and momentum of concern about this issue (it is important that if you are going to call, you do so as soon as possible, at the least within the next week - there are only 10 days of the Parliamentary session left before the SORs come into force in Northern Ireland):

Fiona Walker 0207 215 6696 (She is the Civil Servant in charge of the SORs at the department for Women and Equality Unit;

Nick Vanbenschoten 0207 215 6206 (He is Fiona Walker's deputy)

Meg Munn 0207 2193000 (this is the Parliament switchboard: simply ask for Meg Munn MP's office) 0207 215 5000 (this is the Women and Equality Unit switchboard: ask to go through to Meg Munn). 0114 263 4004 (Meg Munn's constituency number). Meg Munn is one of the ministers in charge of the England, Wales and Scotland SORs.

Ruth Kelly: 0207 944 3013 (Her department number) 0207 2193000 (this is the Parliament switchboard: simply ask for Ruth Kelly MP's office) 0207944 4400 (this is the Communities and Local Government Department switchboard: ask for Ruth Kelly). Ruth Kelly is the minister with primary responsibility for the England, Wales and Scotland SORs.

Peter Hain: 0207 2193000 (as above, ask for Peter Hain MP's office). 01639 630152 (His constituency number). Peter Hain is the minister in charge of the Northern Ireland SORs. CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.