There's something about a certain kind of bigoted individual that compels them to air their privately-held opinions, no matter how ridiculous or inflammatory. When a BNP London Assembly candidate made some daft remarks earlier this year, he was villified: presumably the same fate awaits Rev Peter Mullen, who has made some breathtakingly boneheaded comments about gay men on his website.
Mullen, the chaplain to the London Stock Exchange and a man required to offer spiritual salve to bankers, used his blog to state his belief that homosexuality is "clearly unnatural, a perversion and corruption of natural instincts and affections". Furthermore, he recommended on his blog that the sex lives of homosexual males be considered as dangerous as smoking, and given appropriate health warnings. The 66-year old wrote in one blog entry:
"Let us make it obligatory for homosexuals to have their backsides tattooed with the slogan SODOMY CAN SERIOUSLY DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH and their chins with FELLATIO KILLS."
In another entry, he called for the abolition of gay pride parades, and in another, composed a poem in which he bemoaned the blessing bestowed upon "puffs". All satire, assured the rector, who helpfully sunk his own argument by declaring weakly that he had "many dear friends of that persuasion". Pressed further, he fell back upon a hoary old strawman by declaring that his real target was the "militant preaching of homosexuality." If there's anyone who'd know about preaching, it's a man of the cloth like Mullen here.
Peter Tatchell has called for Mullen to be dismissed, and the Bishop of London has condemned his comments, since removed from the website. In a tightening job market, we fear for the Reverend's future employment prospects. Still, given the ability of gay Londoners to embrace any trend, no matter how ludicrous, we suggest Mullen can put his money where his mouth as and find a job modelling his slogans at a Compton street tattoo parlour, offering his own body as a canvas. He'll be a crowd favourite on Friday's at Heaven before you know it.
Image of Pride '08 from Tanya N's Flickrstream via the Londonist pool
