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From Canon Ann Easter, Chaplain to the Queen:

Our card shops, florists and maybe even our jewellers are girding themselves ready for St Valentine’s festival of lurve next weekend, so it’s the appropriate time for the Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual History month, giving us all an opportunity to challenge the prejudices which have blighted some people’s loves and lives for centuries – in spite of the fact that my sister’s father-in-law assured her that there were definitely no gay people before the war….!

This year, the theme of the LGBT history month is Religion, Belief and Philosophy and I cringe in shame at the way the church has sometimes behaved towards LGBT people. It’s true that there are about 7 Bible texts which say that homosexuality is wrong but the Bible also says that we mustn’t wear garments made of two different kinds of material – like my nice silk and wool jumper - and I haven’t noticed anybody taking that one literally! And I was very glad to see that a recent survey showed, in just the past 3 years, the attitude of Church members to gay and lesbian marriage has become enormously more positive – what a relief!

But somehow, people always hear the few things God says we ²õ³ó´Ç³Ü±ô»å²Ô’t be doing more than the five thousand, four hundred and thirty two texts which tell us what God wants us to do – things like healing the sick, feeding the hungry, supporting and protecting the poor and vulnerable and, crucially, loving people who are different from us.

I believe that the relationships that bring light and love into this world have something of God in them - regardless of the race, gender, sexuality, creed or age or anything else of the lovers!  I think that God delights in relationships that have respect, humour, mutuality, forgiveness and commitment – the sort of relationships that make the world a better place for those who are in them and for the people around them – for the kids, families, friends and neighbours too – that makes us all smile.