Is the Catholic Church finally imploding?

Well! Well! Well! So Cardinal O’Brien, the most senior Roman Catholic in the UK, and one of our most outspoken and vituperative opponents, has resigned over allegations of “inappropriate” behaviour towards young priests under his tutelage. The allegations have yet to be corroborated, and are under investigation by the Vatican, though I have little confidence that we will ever get to the bottom of them. The Vatican, as we all know, is very good at cover ups. However the fact that Cardinal O’Brien has resigned and will no longer have a vote in the selection of the next Pope speaks volumes.

Coming so soon after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, the first Pope to resign in over 600 years remember, what does all this mean for the Catholic Church? Well it certainly exposes the hypocrisy that exists within.

Responding to the news of O’Brien’s resignation, Stonewall’s Ben Summerskill said, “We trust there will now be a full investigation into the serious allegations made against Cardinal O’Brien. We hope his successor will show a little more Christian charity towards openly gay people than the Cardinal will himself.”  If the rest of the Catholic hierarchy is anything to go by, I’m not holding out much hope.

Cardinal O’Brien is not an isolated incident of course. For a while now, there have been allegations of a secret gay mafia within the Vatican, including Cardinals, participating in gay bars, saunas, chat rooms and using the services of male prostitutes. According to Peter Tatchell, “The Vatican is shamelessly championing homophobia and the denial of legal equality to gay people, while hosting a hotbed of secret, guilt-ridden clerical homosexuality.” Tatchell hopes that Cardinal O’Brien’s resignation will result in “the Catholic church turning over a new leaf by selecting a more caring, compassionate replacement who respects LGBT equality and human rights." I would like to think so too, but, call me cynical, somehow I doubt it. With an African Cardinal being touted as a possible new Pope, there’s more chance that the Vatican will close ranks, and, if anything, go back on the attack. The Church certainly doesn’t seem to be able to learn from its mistakes.

Bit by bit over the last few years, scandals have been emerging in various countries. There have been countless allegations of child abuse by priests, some covered up by Ratzinger himself, the victims silenced, whilst the real criminals, those paedophile priests were just moved on so they could carry on their crimes elsewhere.  In 2011, it was discovered that up to 300,000 Spanish babies were stolen from their parents and sold for adoption over a period of five decades. The children were trafficked by a secret network of doctors, nurses, priests and nuns in a widespread practice that began during General Franco’s dictatorship and continued until the early Nineties. The present Pope cannot personally be blamed for that of course, but it is just another example of the rotten core that exists within the heart of the Catholic Church. I rather hope that it means that the Church is gradually imploding and sinking into a cesspit of its own making. No doubt I am wrong and it will rise phoenix like from the ashes, but at the moment it’s a very nice thought.

They Fit

People come in all shapes and sizes, which is why we have different sizes of clothes. So do their extremities, their hands and feet for instance, which is why shoes and gloves also come in different sizes. Unsurprisingly, cocks also come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes (I should know, I’ve seen plenty in my time), so it is rather perplexing to find that condoms come in one basic size. Even those labelled large, king size or magnum are hardly any different from standard ones. Bras, so I’m told, come in a very wide range of sizes, so why not condoms? This is a question Joe Nelson had been asking himself for some time, and so passionate was he about the subject that he left his nine year banking job with Goldman Sachs to found his custom made condom business, called They Fit. As Joe says, “The more I thought about it, the more crazy it was that fit wasn't a consideration when it came to condoms. We wouldn't suffer badly fitting shoes, or clothes, because fitting well and comfort go hand in hand.” TheyFit condoms come in 95 different sizes!

You’ll probably be thinking that latex stretches, so why do we need to be so specific about size? Well, let me tell you it doesn’t stretch nearly enough, and the fact that condoms tend to come in one standard size can be just as much a problem for guys with small dicks as guys with big ones. In fact a clinical study made in 2010 came to the conclusion that standard condoms don’t fit 45% of men; and apparently many of the marketing terms used on packaging are somewhat misleading. Large, extra-large, magnums or whatever aren’t significantly larger, extra safe or thin aren’t significantly thicker or thinner.

Joe’s a pragmatic kind of a guy. He accepts that bareback sex feels much better, and he is fortunate enough to have a wife with whom he can enjoy that, but, given the risks of bareback sex for most of us not in a relationship, then surely  the best way to encourage people to use condoms is to make the experience as pleasurable as possible, and if you have a condom that actually fits your cock, then a) you’ll find it a lot easier to get on (and not slip off), and b) you’ll enjoy the sex much more. Doubly important when a recent report estimates that one in twelve gay men in London is now HIV positive. I would assume that, for those active on the gay scene, the figure will be much higher.

So it is that I was given the enviable task of test driving Joe’s custom made condoms. First of all I had to measure my erect member (length and circumference) and enter the details on their website (they give you a simple guide to do this). This delivers a code for the size that fits you. When you get the condoms, no sizes are marked on them, just the code for the size you ordered. All very discrete and simple.

The condoms arrived and at first, I only had an opportunity to wank into one. I must admit it fit very nicely, but the real test would be getting down to business with a willing partner.

At the weekend, I was fortunate enough to meet a sexy young guy out clubbing and we came back to my place for a night of fun. We made a very long session of it, and, not only did I get to try my new TheyFit condoms, but I also got to compare them with various regular condoms I had in my drawers.  Well, I have to say they performed most impressively. Not only did they roll on more easily, they actually felt much more comfortable than the normal condoms I used, and, miracle of miracles, fucking did feel better. One small point, the packs were somehow easier to get into. I don’t know about you, but once my hands get covered in lube, I have a devil of a job opening condom packets. Is there any wonder people just give up in frustration?

I would definitely give them a try. 

Just go to their website http://www.theyfit.co.uk. Try them. Honestly, you won’t be disappointed. In fact TheyFit  give you a money back guarantee. How’s that for confidence in your product?

Tantric Massage for Lovers

It’s Valentine ’s Day, the festival of amour, and, for once, I’m going to exchange my mood of belligerence for one of lurve, whilst I expound the benefits of tantric massage and how it can be incorporated into your love making.

It seems to me that these days we do everything in a rush, and that includes sex. It’s on tap. Just open up that little app on your phone, and you can be fucking in minutes. Quick and easy. You can even organise a quickie for your lunch hour, and be back in your office with nobody any the wiser about what kind of sausage sandwich you had for your lunch.

Well tantra is something different.  Even if you are in a relationship, when was the last time you and your partner actually took time to make love, made an evening of it, an evening of exploring each other’s bodies? So, for Valentine ’s Day, why not try something different? Instead of going for a romantic, and usually rather expensive, dinner out somewhere, followed by a tipsy quickie when you get home before going to sleep, why not have a quick light meal, and spend the rest of the evening exploring and enjoying each other’s bodies?

Here are a few tips on tantric massage to help get you started. You can make an evening of it, take turns to massage each other. You can make it a prelude to sex or you can spend an entire evening massaging each other. Either way, you will achieve greater intimacy than you normally do. Admittedly it requires a little preparation, but I guarantee you it will be worth it. Now most of us don’t have a massage table, but I would suggest taking things off the bed, and even out of the bedroom if you can. Why not spread some cushions on the floor and cover them with a duvet, a large sheet and some towels. As you’re going to be doing some massage, then the floor will also offer a firmer surface. If you have a futon, then that would be even better. 

Atmosphere is very important, so candlelight is an absolute must, scented candles are even better, as are incense sticks (I particularly like Nitraj Original natural Masala incense available from Buddha on a Bicycle in Covent Garden). Music is also very important.  There are plenty of massage, new age and tantra albums out there, but I’ve put together my own playlist, which is a mixture of all sorts; selections from chill out albums like Buddha Bar and Café del Mar, classical pieces, and bits and pieces I’ve downloaded from various tantra albums. I put it on shuffle, so I never know quite what is coming next, but the music often dictates the speed of my massage strokes, and even the pressure. My playlist is on spotify and if you are a member, you too can subscribe to my list.

So we have now set up the room, we have created a warm, welcoming atmosphere, and it’s time to create the intimacy and the bond that will carry us through the next few hours. It’s best if you start in loose, easy to remove clothing. Stand facing your partner, take each other’s hands and close your eyes. Let the music wash over you and slow your breathing down, taking deep breaths deep down into your diaphragm. Then, eyes still closed start to explore each other’s bodies through your clothes. You will be amazed how sensuous this can feel. Don’t be afraid to touch each other’s intimate parts, but don’t concentrate on them either. Really feel all over each other’s bodies, and finish this section by holding each other closely for a few minutes, enjoying the intimacy and feeling of just being held. Then you can start to undress each other. Again, take your time. This can be unbelievably erotic. Caress each other’s bodies as you take off each item of clothing. Make love to each other’s bodies. Once naked, hold each other again, before lying down and starting on the massage proper.

One thing tantric massage emphatically is not is a rub down followed by a hand job. In fact Joseph Kramer, tantric massage guru, once stated, “The difference between Tao Erotic Massage and a hand job is the difference between banging on a piano and playing Mozart.” Now you are ready to start playing Mozart.

Choice of massage oils is personal. Good ones are almond oil and coconut oil, but you could equally use baby oil. It can bea good idea to warm it on a radiator before using it, and then pour it into your hands first before rubbing it into your partner’s body. I usually start with my client face down and start on the back, sweeping my hands down to the buttocks. Play with your partner’s body. Remember what feels good for you will no doubt feel good for him too. Try it now. Gently caress one of your arms with your free hand. Doesn’t it feel good? You have magic in your hands. Use it.

Don’t be in too much of a hurry to get to the naughty bits. Take your time to get to know each other’s bodies. This is where you get to find those erogenous zones you didn’t know you had before. Also remember that, once you do get to massage the more intimate areas, whether it be the prostate or the genitals, your aim is to make your partner feel good and prolong orgasm, not just to bring him off. Use lots of lube if massaging the prostate, and plenty of oil on the genitals. Don’t just jerk him off. Play with his cock, caress it, massage it. You’ll be surprised at his reactions. Ejaculation may or may not happen. It is not the be all and end all of a massage. In fact, it is possible to achieve a full body orgasm without actually ejaculating.

This is just a tiny snapshot of how you can incorporate something more sensual into your lovemaking, but if any of this has excited your curiosity, then take a look at

http://www.sensualself.co.uk/

http://www.sensualmassagemovies.com/

http://www.tantra4gaymen.co.uk

http://www.meetup.com/BIG-LINGAM-TANTRA-LONDON/

Most of all, have fun and Happy Valentine’s Day.

Gay Homophobia

The recent weeks have made me aware, not only of homophobia in the media, but also, amongst gay people themselves.

A few days ago I was having a conversation with an acquaintance in the sauna at the gym. Gay and a UKIP supporter, which to me, like gay Republican, is something of an oxymoron, I asked him if he had changed his views since the recent sacking of Olly Neville over his pro-gay marriage stance. Not only had he not changed his opinion of UKIP, but he actually agreed with the party on the issue. After a heated debate, in which I asked him why he didn’t believe in same sex marriage, all I really got from his incoherent arguments was a deep seated and internalised hatred of gay men (I didn’t manage to ask him about his views on lesbians, or trans people), and therefore, presumably, of himself.

For me the marriage debate is very simple. It is about equality. Either we are equal to straight people or we are not, and at the moment we are not, for until I feel I can walk down any street in any city in the world without fear, then we will not be equal, and, though we are luckier here in the UK than in many countries, there are still many parts of even London, where it would be considered foolhardy to be too obviously gay. There are those who will say  we are our own worst enemies, that if we go round in tight disco pants or dress up in drag, or even just act flamboyantly then it’s hardly surprising that straight people don’t like us. Their message to us is to play down our sexuality, try and blend in, and, most importantly, not to confess to having sex. For some reason gay men who have happy, successful sexual relationships are deemed scarier than those camp, unthreatening gay men, who have graced our TV screens since the days of Larry Grayson. My God, what has happened to us since Russell T Davies’s seminal Channel 4 series Queer As Folk burst onto the screens back in 1999? This was unapologetic, showing it just how it is, and the straight world lapped it up. Today the only positive depictions of gay people on TV are Graham Norton and Alan Carr. Is this because we have yet again become too scared of upsetting the straight world? But I’m digressing.

Now I may not want to dress up in drag myself, and my days of tight disco pants may be over, but I will wholeheartedly defend the right of every person, of whatever sexuality, to dress as they will and be who they are, without fear of recrimination. I do not think that to achieve equality we should be forced to adopt the mores and manners of middle Englanders, just as I wouldn’t expect them to step out of their safe little world if they don’t want to. But equality should be available to all, regardless of sexuality or gender, not just to those narrow minded souls who choose to live a safe little life in Surbiton.

A couple of years ago, Patrick Strudwick of GT wrote about prominent gay homophobes in the media; gay men who ally themselves with those who seek to discriminate against us; David Starkey, who defended the right of the Christian B&B owners to turn away a gay couple, Iain Dale, who disagrees with gay parenting, Andrew Pierce who agreed with the Pope when he stated Harriet Harman’s Equality Bill “violates the natural law” and Alan Duncan, who opposes equal marriage. The problem with these people, and so many more like them, is that, having been treated as second class citizens for most of their lives, they have come to believe that they are indeed second class citizens. Hardly surprising really, when you consider that, from the day we realise we are different, we start to have to deal with the tirade of negativity spewing out from the mouths of the enemies of equality, those poor benighted people, who believe that life is a husband, a wife, a small house in suburbia and 2.4 children, not that there is anything wrong with that of course. But it is not the only way.

Alan Downs, in his book The Velvet Rage, argues that “the inevitable by-product of growing up gay in a straight world continues to be the internalisation of shame”. This is a shame we live with from the day we are told that our feelings are wrong. I would like to believe that more enlightened parents now might consider the possibility that their child might turn out to be gay, but however enlightened they are, the expectation is still that that child will be straight.

We deal with it in different ways of course. Some will ally themselves with the straight world, distancing themselves from the more outrageous manifestations of gay life, and frowning upon it, as their straight friends do. Others embrace more readily the gay scene, which can initially seem a haven, where they can be accepted and loved for what they are, but where they often end up turning to drugs and alcohol, and meaningless sex. Whichever way we go, we are seeking validation, a validation that the straight world does not bestow on us.

Downs details three distinct stages of emotional well-being for gay men. First we are overwhelmed by shame, then we compensate for it and finally, if we are lucky, we cultivate authenticity. I myself tried to distance myself from other gay men when in Downs’s first stage. I lived a life as straight as I could. Most of my friends were straight. I had a couple of relationships, but still mixed mostly with my straight friends. I rarely went to gay venues. Although I was out to my friends, I was at pains to point out that I was not like the majority of gay men. In my own way I was seeking validation from my straight friends. If that wasn’t internalised homophobia, what was it? The likes of David Starkey still seem to me to be stuck at stage one. They may have come out, but they take no joy in it. It is still a burden for them to bear, the shame of being gay.

The next stage of my development saw me embracing the gay scene with enthusiasm, and it was very seductive. I had a pretty good body and I was new on the scene so I was getting more validation than I’d have ever thought possible. I started taking drugs, having more and more casual sex, often unsafe, and, I have to admit, for quite a few years I had a lot of fun. I don’t regret it, but eventually I realised it wasn’t real. I realised that seeking validation from outside sources eventually counts for nothing. The only true validation comes from within. My anti-gay marriage acquaintance at the gym pointed his finger at the scene, the gay ghetto as he called it, giving that as an example of why we are not deserving of equality. It’s the only scene he knows, and a scene he himself enjoyed once. I tried to point out that the only reason these “gay ghettos”, as he calls them, exist, is because society rejects us, but he was having none of it. As far as he was concerned, we are not worthy of equality.

As for myself, now older and wiser, I find myself entering Downs’s stage three, cultivating authenticity. I am no longer ashamed about who I am or what I am. Nor am I ashamed of my past. And I am becoming less and less tolerant of a world that seeks to discriminate against people merely for being different. In a civilised society we should embrace difference.

I am prepared to admit and indeed hope that growing up gay is becoming easier, and, talking to some of my younger friends, this does seem to be the case. But we still have to deal with negative media attention almost on a day to day basis, whether it be Jan Moir attributing Steven Gates’s death to his gay lifestyle or the Pope banging on about people manipulating their sexual orientation to manipulate God-given sexuality; and negativity has a habit of seeping into our sub-conscious. Is it any wonder we find homophobia within our own ranks? Equal marriage will not change that overnight, but it is another step in the right direction. I would love to see a world where we didn’t have to suffer the shame of who we are. Get rid of the shame and you will also get rid of the gay homophobes.

Don't let the bastards get to you

Brace yourself everyone. If you think we’ve had to put up with quite a lot of abuse over the last few months, then it’s no doubt going to get worse over the next week. Parliament is to debate the same sex marriage bill on February 5^th, and our opponents’ attacks are about to get nastier and ever more virulent, in their attempt to have their minority view heard and to stop progress.

This is probably the most important piece of LGBT regulation since 1967, when it finally became legal for two consenting men to have sex in private (it had never been illegal for women), and, though the personnel may have changed, our opponents are the same as the ones who objected then. What worries me most though is the effect all this negative campaigning (by certain conservative Christian groups and certain churches) is having on the rest of us. One of my friends, out, happy and proud, has actually deleted the PinkNews app from his phone, unable to cope any longer with the barrage of news stories in which this bishop or that MP spews out their bigotry. Of course PinkNews, thegayUk and all other sites need to keep us informed about what our enemies are up to, but it can become a bit wearing; and if it’s having such a negative effect on someone who is out and happy, what do you think it might be doing to a teenager, still struggling with his or her sexuality?

This was brought home to me a couple of days ago, when reading a blog post by Queerily in response to Anthony Ozimic’s appearance on Breakfast TV. Anthony Ozimic is the Communiucations Manager of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, and is worried about children being taught that homosexuality is a “valid” lifestyle. As Queerily points out, Mr Ozimic professes to want to protect children, when what he is actually doing is making life harder for them. It’s hard enough coming to terms with one’s homosexuality in a heterosexual world already, without the likes of Anthony Ozimic telling young people that their feelings are wrong and sinful, without him reinforcing the attitudes that get children bullied, bullying which sometimes leads to young, vulnerable people, both gay and straight, taking their own lives. It astounds me that these idiots never seem to make the connection. People don’t commit suicide because they are gay; they do it because they feel outcast and rejected. Higher levels of drug abuse and alcoholism in gay men are not a direct result of being gay, but they are a direct result of society’s negative attitude to homosexuality.

Marriage equality is not going to change people’s attitudes overnight of course, but it is a hugely important step on the road to equality. So don’t let the bastards get you down. However much hate and bigotry we have to deal with in the next few weeks, remember that the louder our opponents get, the closer we get to success. They are dinosaurs, still living in a pre-1967 world, and we cannot let them win. Keep up the pressure. If you do nothing else, write to your MP. He or she is voting on your future. It’s easy enough to do. Just follow this link.

You can't please all of the people all of the time

I’m a tantric masseur. My mission is to make people feel good.  I’m good at what I do and I enjoy it. I love it when someone arrives tense and nervous, but leaves relaxed and happy, almost a completely different person. However, every now and then I will come across a client, who confounds all my attempts to get through to him, and he remains as locked in and closed off to himself as when he arrived. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, I find myself momentarily questioning my abilities and wondering if I did something wrong.

A few days ago I received a call from a new client. He evidently had little experience of tantric massage, so I explained to him that it was a sexual, sensual massage. Was this what he was looking for? Yes. I asked him which of the two massages I offered he wanted (with or without digital internal prostate). Unhesitating, he opted for the prostate massage, so I booked him in for later that evening and said I would look forward to seeing him later. When he arrived, he was extremely tense, uptight and nervous, so, as I usually do, I asked him to sit down while I gave him a brief description of how the massage would progress. I explained in detail about the digital prostate massage and asked him if he was sure that was what he wanted. He was sure.

Before my client gets on the table, I usually start with a short ritual, assuming of course if they are ok with it. This ritual consists of some deep breathing, mutual touch while still clothed and then slowly undressing each other. During the mutual touching phase, I put my arms round my client and hug him. It is at this point I can usually tell how the massage will go. Most men give themselves up to the hug, hug me back and we remain locked in embrace for a few moments, breathing in sync. It is a moment I particularly enjoy. This client remained rigid. He half-heartedly put his arms around me, but I could tell he wasn’t giving in to the experience so I swiftly moved to get him onto the table. I started to massage his back, but every time I went anywhere near his buttocks he tensed up and clenched them. I quickly abandoned any idea of internal prostate, and decided to just massage the perineum area. However, having already spent a substantial amount of time on his legs, as I slid my finger between his inner thighs, he screamed out as if in pain, enjoining me to stop. Believe me I wasn’t even anywhere near the opening of his anus. I decided to go back to basic massage.

Eventually I asked him to turn over. Judging by the tumescent state of his penis, something was turning him on, but it was as if he refused to acknowledge it. When I massage a person’s arms, I usually hold their hand and lower arm up against me, whilst I massage the upper arm and shoulder. When I tried this with him, he pulled his arm away from me, the very opposite of relaxed submission. I decided the only thing to do was to give him a basic massage for the remaining time and then leave it at that. As I moved on to his chest though, his penis started to swell and grow. I moved down to his stomach, occasionally brushing his penis with my hand and it got even harder. OK, so maybe he would give in to some penis massage. As I took it in my hand, gently massaging its length, he took hold of my penis and started furiously wanking it. I quickened my strokes on his and it wasn’t long before he exploded all over his chest and stomach. Usually at this point, I clean up the client, have him lie there a little longer, while I gently caress his body, do a little head massage and generally relax them. Often at this point, they fall asleep. On this occasion this was not a possibility. He sat up immediately, asked if he could have a shower and disappeared into the bathroom. He was gone quite a while, so maybe he was trying to wash away his sin. I really don’t know.

When he came back from the bathroom, I tried to engage him in conversation in an attempt to discover what had gone wrong, even offering to reduce the fee, as he hadn’t really got what he paid for. He refused and grunted that everything was fine and that he was quite happy. After he left I felt awful, as if I had somehow let him down.

Fortunately the next day redressed the balance. My first client of the day was also very nervous, and admitted to it when he arrived.  How different from the previous day, though. The moment he gave himself up to the hug, I knew we would be ok, and indeed he told me, after the massage, that he was completely taken by surprise by his own reaction, and how he’d felt at one point that he was almost lifting off the table, so intense was his pleasure. I remarked on the fact that he had made my job easier by totally giving in to the experience, and he told me that this too had surprised him, as he was normally such a reserved person. Clearly I had got through to him in a way that was impossible with the other man. He was so closed off to himself and anyone around him, that there was nothing I could do. For all that, I did feel bad that he had not received the service of which I am capable, and felt that I had let him down, so I’d like to say thank you to the second of these two men for restoring my belief in myself.

I should have remembered something my father used to say to me.  “Son,” he would say, “you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” It’s definitely something worth remembering.

www.sensualself.co.uk

Merry Christmas from the Church

Well Christmas is over for another year, and what did we learn from it? We learnt that the attitude of the  Church towards us, and particularly the Catholic Church, would continue to be one of closed minded bigotry even at this time of year. The message came over loud and clear. “Peace and goodwill to all men – except the gay ones.” The barrage of hatred and abuse started with the Pope’s annual Christmas address to the Vatican, in which he stated that people were manipulating their sexual orientation to manipulate God-given nature, and it continued with the Bishop of Westminster’s Christmas sermon, in which he called the Government’s equal marriage plan an Orwellian shambles.

Over the last few months we have been compared to Nazi fascists, accused of undermining the heterosexual fundamentals of society, and, most recently compared to communists, the idea of marriage equality apparently stemming from” the egalitarian utopia that did so much damage during the 20th century … deceiving humanity as socialism did in the past.” (Lucetta Scaraffia in L’Osservatorio Romano).

The religious bigots believe they are winning, but, so far, fortunately, they are not. Spain’s courts recently threw out an attempt by conservatives to overturn the country’s seven year- long marriage equality law, more and more US states are introducing marriage equality, and, over here, David Cameron has vowed to make marriage equality law before the end of the year.

 What does bother me though is the way that the media and the press treat all their ridiculous pronouncements with such reverence, the pervading impression being that a belief in God is an indication of someone’s veracity and moral character. My attitude is completely different. How on earth can you take seriously the views of someone who believes that Christ was the result of a union between a virgin and a mythical God, for whom there is no scientific evidence? Now I am prepared to believe that Christ existed. I am also prepared to believe that he was an extraordinary man, well ahead of his time, with some very interesting ideas (too bad the Church tends to ignore most of them), but believing he was the son of God is too much of a stretch for my imagination. It’s a bit like believing in Peter Pan and Neverland. It’s a nice idea, but we know it’s just a good story.

Bypassing mass murderers, suicide bombers, war mongers and all sorts of evils in society, the Church has chosen to make us the enemy. I am not aware of many gay people who go out straight bashing on a Friday night, who go around bombing innocent individuals in the name of their cause, who hound and bully young straight teenagers until they find no other way out other than to commit suicide, but somehow we have become the root of all evil in society. The Church has blood on its hands, but it doesn’t care because it is more concerned about losing its power. Paradoxically it doesn’t seem to realise that, in the West at least, its draconian stance is losing them followers as more and more people become disillusioned with them. Apparently a Dutch website, which gives information about how to de-register as a Catholic received around 10,000 hits per day over the Christmas period. Normally it receives only 10. Clearly things aren’t working for them here in the more enlightened and educated West. One has to wonder why they see us a such a threat, and, the only conclusion I can come to is their preoccupation with sex. The Church, as Stephen Fry once put it, is obsessed with sex, and they can’t cope with a generation that increasingly sees sex more as a channel for pleasure than procreation. This, presumably, is the reasoning behind the bizarre decision taken by the Church of England recently, to allow gay clergy to become Bishops, as long as they affirm that they are not having sex. What are they going to do? Install CCTV in their bedrooms? And what about straight couples who can’t, or don’t want to, have children? Should they be forbidden from having sex too? Their thinking on this seems very muddled to me.

Unfortunately the gradual erosion of the power of the Church in the West, means that they are working hard to increase their stranglehold in less developed countries, particularly in the African continent, where people are less well educated, and more prone to believe the mumbo jumbo they come out with, a direct of result of which is the notorious Ugandan Kill the Gays bill. Only recently the Pope was pictured blessing Rebecca Kadanga, the Speaker of the Ugandan Parlaiment, who vowed to pass the bill as a “Christmas gift”.

Where will it all end I wonder? I was certainly very angry over Christmas, angry that the press gave the Church such a platform, angry at the incredibly biased reporting by the BBC, which made the story of the Bishop of Westminster’s Christmas Day attack their main news item without including one dissenting voice, just plain angry and I’ve had just about as much as I can stomach. I just wanted to scream at the TV.  “Don’t you get it? We don’t care. We don’t actually care what a bunch of crazy bible bashers think. Just go away and leave us alone. It actually has nothing to do with you.” The Bishop of Westminster, and hundreds of other Catholic ministers around the country, enjoined their congregations to bombard the government with letters protesting their plans to legalise gay marriage. I just hope that members of parliament realise that for every letter they get from “disgusted of Wells”, there are hundreds of other people, a lot of them straight, who won’t write because they don’t really care! Remember only about 2% of the population go to church regularly on a Sunday. They just happen to be a very vocal 2%.