Gay rights campaigners and secularists called Tuesday for protests during a visit to Britain by Pope Benedict XVI this year, after he condemned equality legislation seen as friendly to gays.

The 82-year-old pontiff, who made his comments in a letter to the bishops of England and Wales on Monday, is reportedly set to visit Britain in September, the first such trip in 28 years.
 

Human rights campaigner and gay activist Peter Tatchell said he saw the pope’s letter as an attack on the legal rights granted to gay people and women.
 

"His ill-informed claim that our equality laws undermine religious freedom suggests that he supports the right of churches to discriminate in accordance with their religious ethos.
 

"He seems to be defending discrimination by religious institutions and demanding that they should be above the law."
 

In his comments Monday the pope said that Britain "is well known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity."

Limitations
But he added "the effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs," he wrote.
 

"In some respects it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded and by which it is guaranteed."

Observers said the pontiff was referring to legislation that took effect on January 1, 2009, preventing adoption agencies - including Catholic ones - from discriminating against gay couples.
 

The National Secular Society (NSS) reacted furiously to the pope’s remarks.

Discontent on visit
Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said: "The taxpayer in this country is going to be faced with a bill of some 20 million pounds for the visit of the pope.

"A visit in which he has already indicated he will attack equal rights and promote discrimination."
 

He said he would appeal to gay groups, feminist groups, family planning organisations, pro-choice groups, victim support groups and "anyone who feels under siege from the Vatican's current militancy" to take part in the protests.
 

Source: AFP