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Islington Tribune - by JAMIE WELHAM
Published: 18 January 2008

Clergy backs registrar over gay weddings

CHURCH leaders have rallied in support of the marriage registrar embroiled in a legal dispute with the Town Hall because she refuses to conduct gay weddings.
Lillian Ladele is taking Islington Council to an employment tribunal over claims that the ceremonies clash with her religious principles.
Her controversial stance has roused strong emotions from both the Christian community and her family who believe she is being persecuted for her faith.
Peter Johnson, a retired Baptist minister from Holloway, said Mrs Ladele was within her rights to make a public stand against gay marriage.
Rev Johnson said: “Things have come to a pretty pass among us when a Christian lady employee is faced with dismissal merely because she refuses to take part in something which would mean her condoning homosexual relationships and denigrating Christian marriage.
“If Islington Council persists in hounding this Christian lady registrar, it may well find itself in deep trouble, for liberty of conscience in matters of fait is a fundamental human right. This lady has nothing to be ashamed of.”
Evangelical leader David Curtis from the New Wine Christian Fellowship also expressed sympathy for Mrs Ladele’s plight. He said: “I see it as not dissimilar to Christians refusing to work on Sunday’s. She has taken a conscientious decision and is not breaking the law. I see nothing wrong in that. People accuse the Church of being homophobic but homophobia is not limited to the Church.”
An employee at the Employment Tribunals office in Holborn told the Tribune that Mrs Ladele is claiming ‘discrimination or victimisation on grounds of religion or belief’’.
Speaking from her Clerkenwell flat, a relative of Mrs Ladele pleaded with people to leave his family alone. He said he wanted everyone to stop “harassing my family” since her controversial decision was made public.
He said: “Legal proceedings are pending and it wouldn’t be appropriate to say anything more than that.”
The devout Christian, who has worked at the Town Hall for ten years has not been required to carry out any of the 600-plus civil partnerships since they were legalised in 2005, but a change in legislation means she is now under direct control of the council and is therefore duty-bound to officiate them.
The gay rights group Stonewall said Mrs Ladele’s stance was unjustifiable. Derek Munn, director of public affairs at Stonewall said: “All public servants are paid to uphold the law of the land.
“Doubtless there were those 40 years ago who claimed a moral objection to mixed marriages between people of different ethnic origin. Discrimination on any basis is equally unacceptable.”
A preliminary hearing for the case is scheduled for February, where a date will be agreed for the proceedings to start in earnest.

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