Homosexuality is not a crime
Being Gay Is Not A Crime
No. 4 of #50cases.
Our Parliament decriminalised homosexuality in – but only in England and Wales. Homosexual acts remained criminalised in Scotland and Northern Ireland until and , respectively, but only after landmark rulings changed the face of gay rights in Europe.
Jeffrey Dudgeon was a shipping clerk and gay activist in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In , police came to his house to conduct a search. Police officers proceeded to comb through Dudgeon’s diary entries and personal documents, which contained descriptions of his homosexual activities. The next day, on the basis of these descriptions, police interrogated Dudgeon for four and a half hours on his sexual activity – a distressing intrusion into Dudgeon’s private life, which caused him great harm.
As a result, he filed a complaint which was then passed on to the European Court of Human Rights. In , Dudgeon was vindicated: the Court ruled that Northern Ireland’s criminalisation of homosexual acts between consenting adults violated his right to respect for his private and family life, as guaranteed by the European Convention of Human Rights.
Dudgeon’s case represents much more than one man’s f
“Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” Francis said during an interview this Tuesday with The Associated Press.
Francis established that Catholic Bishops in some parts of the world support laws that criminalize homosexuality or discriminate against the LGBTQ people, and he himself referred to the issue in terms of “sin.”
But he attributed such attitudes to cultural backgrounds and said Bishops in particular require to undergo a process of change to notice the dignity of everyone.
“These Bishops have to own a process of conversion,” he said, adding that they should apply “tenderness, please, as God has for each one of us.”
Some 67 countries or jurisdictions worldwide criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, 11 of which can or do impose the death penalty, according to The Human Dignity Trust, which works to end such laws.
Experts say even where the laws are not enforced, they contribute to harassment, stigmatization and aggression against LGBTQ people.
--AP--
'God loves us as we are': Pope says homosexuality is not a crime
Pope Francis has criticised laws that criminalise homosexuality as "unjust," saying God loves all his children just as they are.
Key points:
- The United Nations has repeatedly called for an finish to laws criminalising homosexuality
- Pope Francis' comments are the first uttered by a pope about such laws
- 67 countries or jurisdictions criminalise consensual same-sex sexual activity
The top of the Catholic Church also called on Catholic bishops who support such laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church.
"Being homosexual isn't a crime," he said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Pope Francis acknowledged that Catholic bishops in some parts of the nature supported laws that criminalise homosexuality or discriminate against LGBTQ people, and he himself referred to the issue in terms of "sin".
But he attributed such attitudes to cultural backgrounds, and said bishops in particular need to undergo a process of adjust to recognise the dignity of everyone.
"These bishops contain to have a process of conversion," he said, adding that the
'We are all children of God:' Pope Francis says homosexuality is not a crime in interview
Pope Francis said laws criminalizing homosexuality are “unjust,” calling homosexuality a sin for Catholic worshippers – but not a crime.
“Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” Francis said in an interview this week with The Paired Press.
He noted that Catholic bishops around the planet support laws criminalizing homosexuality and discriminating against LGBTQ individuals. He said the leaders should "have to own a process of conversion,” and opt for “tenderness, please, as God has for each one of us.”
“We are all children of God, and God loves us as we are and for the power that each of us fights for our dignity,” Francis said,
The pope said the Catholic Church should work to end laws criminalizing homosexuality.
Approximately 67 countries and jurisdictions around the world criminalize same-sex sexual activity. In the Joined States, more than a dozen states still hold anti-sodomy laws, though the Supreme Court ruled in that the statutes are unconstitutional.
Francis’ comments were not a full embrace of LGBTQ people. The church still calls homosexuality a sin.
“It’s not a crim
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