As an Anglican priest in the diocese of Sydney who has ministered to gay, lesbian, bisexual transgender and intersex people over the past ten years, I fear that the present General Synod of the Anglican Church is about to deliver another painful rejection statement to these people.

       All modern psychological insights into sexual preferences find they are involuntarily acquired.  I have never come across a non- heterosexual person who would have chosen to be GLBTI.  Many would give much to be able to marry, have children, grandchildren and "live happily ever after". 

 But heterosexual relationships are as much an anathema to them as it would be for "straight" heterosexual people to have an abiding homosexual relationship.  Instead, theirs is a constant struggle for acceptance in the workplace, in the family, in school and in the church - coupled with regular taunts and occasional violence to their persons by "poofter bashers".

       The church continues to try to defend, support and help marginalised people.  Jesus spent important parts of his ministry teaching his disciples to go among the "tax collectors", the prostitute, the lepers, the poor, the widows and the sick - healing their outcast status in society by full and unconditional love and acceptance; often rejecting the cruel laws of the Old Testament (an eye for an eye, or stoning adulterers to death).

       I fear the Anglican Church (together with many other Christian denominations) is about to deliver another nail in the body of the GLBTI community - crucifying Christ still further.  The church has woken up from burning witches, beheading heretics and having slaves; it now sees all races as equal (only since the 1960s in the US and Australia) and allows women equal rights (almost).

       When will it wake up to the pain it is causing to GLBTI people by continuing to reject them as whole people and denying them the opportunity of service in God's sinful community of faith?