BHA – Protest the Pope to attend London Pride

Supporters of the Protest the Pope campaign will be marching in the London Pride parade this Saturday to highlight the effect of the Vatican’s anti-homosexual policies on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. The group of walkers will be handing out leaflets detailing the Pope’s opinion on homosexuality and giving out stickers stating ‘No State Visit.’

Andrew Copson, speaker for Protest the Pope Campaign, explained, ‘The Pope’s attitude to lesbian and gay people is just one of the many stances that the Vatican State holds which are damaging to human dignity and human rights. Its opinions on AIDS, condom use and abortion have far reaching and devastating effects on the lives and human rights of millions more people.

‘In many counties around the world, the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals are effectively negated because of the pressure that the Catholic Church puts on governments. The head of the Vatican State should not be afforded the honour of a state visit and it is this message which we will be highlighting at London Pride.’

Notes

Further comment or information from Andrew Copson,
andrew@humanism.org.uk> on 07534 248596. Andrew will also be available for comment at the parade on Saturday.

The Pope will be visiting the UK on a State visit from 16th-19 September.

Protest the Pope is a campaign that believes that, as a head of state, the Pope is an unsuitable guest of the UK government and should not be accorded the honour and recognition of a state visit to our country. www.protest-the-pope.org.uk

The London Pride parade will assemble on Baker Street on 3rd July from 12noon.