Welby wants Tatchell talks about bigotry
Thursday 21 March 2013
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EmailArchbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby sent a letter to Peter Tatchell today offering to meet him face to face after the human rights campaigner accused him of being homophobic.
The invitation, sent after Reverend Welby was enthroned as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury, was in response to an open letter in which Mr Tatchell accused the archbishop of opposing gay marriage and said that some Anglicans had colluded in persecution of gay people in Africa.
Mr Tatchell said in the letter: "The Anglican churches of Nigeria and Uganda are supporting draconian new anti-gay Bills that are currently before their respective parliaments.
"Uganda's Anti Homosexuality Bill intensifies the criminalisation of LGBT people, including life imprisonment for mere sexual touching and the death penalty for repeat gay offenders. It also outlaws same-sex marriage, LGBT organisations and gay human rights advocacy."
Archbishop Welby thanked Mr Tatchell for his "very thoughtful" letter and said the points he had made were "powerful."
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