A woman protesting outside the General Synod debate (Picture: Reuters)

LGBT rights campaigners are praising the Church of England for voting to reject a report that said it shouldn’t change its stance on same-sex marriage.

The report on homosexuality had been compiled by the House of Bishops, and then presented to the General Synod – the Church’s ruling body – for debate on Wednesday.

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It called for the Church to adopt a ‘fresh tone and culture of welcome and support’ for gay people – but not to change its opposition to same-sex marriage.

Under the recommendations, marriage would have continued to be seen by the Church as ‘a union, permanent and life-long, of one man with one woman’.




It also urged the promotion of ‘maximum freedom’ for gay couples, but only within current ecclesiastical laws and doctrines.

More than 400 Church leaders came to Church Hall in Westminster to take part in a ‘take note’ debate on the issue, where they voted to symbolically reject the recommendations.

The General Synod in Church Hall (Picture: PA)

LGBT campaigners, who had been protesting outside the hall during the vote, have now hailed the decision as a ‘victory for love and equality’.

‘This vote to, in effect, reject the Bishops’ report is a victory for love and equality,’ Peter Tatchell, who has campaigned on the issue for 50 years, said.

‘It is the biggest defeat for the Anglican leadership in many decades. Synod refused to endorse the anti-LGBT exclusion and discrimination enshrined in the Bishops’ recommendations.’

Meanwhile, inside the hall, the debate prompted impassioned speeches from many Church members.

A priest wears a rainbow ribbon during a vigil against Anglican Homophobia outside the General Synod (Picture: Reuters)

Lucy Gorman, a campaigner and representative from York, said: ‘Trust me, outside of these walls we have been heard as lacking in love.

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‘Most people have a friend or family member who sits somewhere on the gender sexuality spectrum – and why would they become part of an organisation which is seemingly homophobic, even if we don’t intend it.’

After the vote, she said: ‘Thank you Synod. With that vote, we’ve sent a message to the outside world.’

The report needed to gain majority votes in all three Houses – the House of Bishops, the House of Clergy and the House of Laity – in order to be approved.

Overall votes cast by the three Houses Voted in favour of the report 242 Voted against the report 184 Abstained 6 Share

Votes cast by the House of Clergy Voted for the report 93.00 Voted against the report 100.00 Abstained 2.00 Share

A total of 242 votes were cast in favour across the three houses, while 184 voted against, and six abstained.

However, around 100 members of the House of Clergy voted against it – compared to 93 who voted in favour, and two who abstained.

With such a close vote, the report has shown how deeply divided the Church is on the issue of blessing and conducting same-sex marriages.

Activists hold a vigil outside the General Synod (Picture: PA)

The vote is not a formal rejection of the proposals, but the views expressed will be used to inform future work by the House of Bishops.

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‘In this debate, we haven’t even begun to find a place where we can coalesce,’ Rt Rev Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden, said.

‘The bishops’ report acknowledges a place of starting. More conversation is needed.

‘We don’t yet know the next stage – nor yet when and whether we can bring any further report to Synod.’