LGBTQ+ campaigner 'deeply disappointed' at outcome of Church same-sex marriage debate
Jayne Ozanne spoke to ITV Channel about her reactions to the result of the debate
An LGBTQ+ campaigner from Guernsey says she is 'deeply disappointed' after her same-sex marriage amendment was voted down by the General Synod.
Jayne Ozanne is a leading advocate for LGBTQ+ equality in the Church of England and a General Synod member.
The Church's governing body has been sitting to debate its stance on homosexuality, which has been an ongoing issue within the Church of England.
After more than eight hours of debate, the Synod voted to back a proposal by bishops to permit blessings of civil marriages.
However, Jayne Ozanne and other LGBTQ+ Christians say this is only a "tiny step forward" after her amendment to allow same-sex marriage was thrown out.
Jayne says: "I am deeply disappointed by the way the conservatives have consistently sought to undermine those of us who sought to move towards a Church that could embrace a plurality of views on sexuality.
"By continuing to tell LGB people that they cannot hope to get married any time soon in their church or that their desire for sexual intimacy is sinful, we send a message to the nation that few will understand.
More importantly it is a message that will continue to cause great harm to the LGBT community and put young LGBT+ lives at risk. The apology that the Synod insisted on keeping is totally meaningless.
"For both these reasons I chose to abstain in the final vote as I did not want to block a tiny step forward that some will welcome. However, I personally will not be forced to eat breadcrumbs, on which I fear so many will choke."