Ian McKellen accuses Anglican church of homophobia

Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent

guardian.co.uk

Sir Ian McKellen today waded into the row over gay clergy that has engulfed the Anglican communion, accusing the church of homophobia.

The actor, a founding member of the gay rights group Stonewall, claimed that religious leaders shared the same attitude as the armed forces and schools, whose authorities he said had also expressed a problem with homosexuals, fearing they would cause chaos and disintegration of discipline.

He said institutions shared a problem with homophobia and "having [that problem], they root around in the Bible for the passages that seem to be relevant".

McKellen made the comments during an appearance on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show alongside Gene Robinson, the gay bishop from New Hampshire whose consecration in 2003 and non-celibate relationship with another man, Mark Andrews, has pushed the Anglican communion to the brink of schism.

view BBC1 Andrew Marr video

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