Bishop: back track on gay marriage 'inevitable'

21 July 2005

Jonathan Blake says Bromley Council's position is 'very reactionary'

A CLERIC who pioneered gay marriage ceremonies has branded a council "short-sighted" for refusing to conduct homosexual weddings.

Bishop Jonathan Blake, of Danson Crescent, Welling, who has performed gay weddings in his attic chapel, said that Bromley Council would eventually back-track and provide the service.

Members of the council's executive have been outspoken in their views on the issue, with Councillor Colin Bloom claiming gay marriage undermines families.

Speaking to the Times this week, Bishop Blake slammed the authority's refusal to offer civil partnership ceremonies to same-sex couples.

He said: "Bromley's stance is short-sighted and borne sadly out of prejudice and, I suspect, a lack of understanding.

"The provision of equality for the homosexual community in recognition of relationships is very important to create a stable society.

"A lot of criticism has been levelled at gay couples, for instance, that they may be promiscuous, the relationships are transient, they are hedonistic and purely for pleasure.

"But a lot of the reasons for these factors come down to the fact that society has not provided the necessary resources to provide [the recognition of gay relationships]."

Bishop Blake started his own church, the Open Episcopal Church, about 12 years ago after a rift with the Church of England and began offering the service of gay marriages.

He added: "I was the only minister willing to do that. I had countless couples coming to me many of whom had been in long term relationships, one of the first had been together 12 years.

"What was so moving, and it's been moving ever since, was finding parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and children and a whole community getting together in utter support of two people who they respect."

The cleric said there was "considerable demand" for the service and that Bromley Council chiefs must not "tarnish" residents in the borough with their stance on the issue.

He said: "The gay community has been much maligned, much misunderstood and has been the subject of abuse in the past. For Bromley Council to take this stance places them in a very reactionary position.

"They have taken a very negative view of the gay community. It's inevitable that they will change. It's impossible to resist the force of society evolving and changing.

"It's probably the last stand that a few people are choosing to make for whatever reason but it will be washed away with the course of time."

A spokesman for Bromley Council denied there was a ban on same-sex marriage ceremonies.

He said: "Bromley Council wishes to clarify the position on partnership ceremonies. A leisure and culture portfolio holder meeting on 23 March 2005 resolved that demand for partnership ceremonies be monitored and a further report brought back to the portfolio holder in January 2006.

"The position that the portfolio holder took reflected the fact that Bromley Council considers it vitally important to encourage traditional marriage.

"For this reason the portfolio holder did not commit to authorising partnership ceremonies; he held the matter open and no decision on whether the council will offer partnership ceremonies has yet been made.

"The council's final position will be determined in due course.

"The outcome of a decision on whether the council will allow partnership ceremonies is expected later this year.