A parish priest has resigned following a 'witch-hunt' against him after he dressed up as a hooker for a charity 'tarts and vicars' party.
Discarding his dog collar for shiny gold tights, a little black dress, pink high heels, a pink necklace and a long black wig, the Reverend Martin Wray received a warm welcome at the charity event near his church in South Shields, Tyneside.
But the reaction when his picture was published in a local newspaper was less enthusiastic, and some parishioners complained to his superiors that he had brought the church into disrepute.
Now, after bitter accusations that elements of the Rev Wray's congregation were being "homophobic", the 59-year-old has quit.
Last night his family and friends said that he had been called a "pervert" and threatened with violence.
His sister said she suspected that his some of his "elderly and very old-fashioned" parishioners had used the pictures as a smokescreen to attack him for his sexuality.
The vicar, 59, had revealed his homosexuality to his flock when he announced that he was entering a civil partnership with his partner Lee Lovely, 34 - a divorced father of one - at their local registry office last May.
The ceremony came three years after the father-of-one's wife Carole died after a prolonged illness.
Janet Bridges, Rev. Wray's sister, said: "My brother has been subjected to a witch-hunt for being gay. When he announced to his congregation at a service one Sunday that he was getting a civil partnership everyone stood up and applauded.
"But a lot of people in that church are elderly and very old-fashioned. When his picture appeared in the paper dressed like that some people used it as an excuse because they didn't like the fact he is gay. He started receiving threatening abuse. Martin played me one message left on his phone which threatened violence against him and called him a pervert."
Mrs Bridges, 54, added: "Martin's wife suffered a long illness and he nursed her through it until her death. He was probably born gay, I certainly suspected it, but when he was growing up that kind of thing wasn't recognised. His partner Lee is a lovely person."
Disquiet burst into the open last August, when the Rev. Wray was invited to attend a tarts and vicars party being thrown at the Steamboat pub, close to the River Tyne, choosing to go in drag.
The evening itself raised several hundred pounds, to be shared equally between the Arts4Wellbeing charity, which provides art workshops for local people with mental health problems, and St Lawrence's church.
Regulars at the pub cheered and applauded both the vicar's outfit and his daring sense of humour.
But the reaction was very different when the photograph of Rev. Wray in his unconventional outfit appeared in the local newspaper.
One worshipper said: "Having his photograph taken was something he should not have allowed to happen, associating St Lawrence's as it did with the event. It was a mistake and he has since admitted it was a mistake."
The same person added, without elaborating: "That incident was just a trigger. We had other concerns."
A complaint was made to the local diocese and the parish refused to accept the money, while the Rev Wray went on sick leave.
Last night he confirmed he has resigned from the parish and retired, saying he regretted dressing in drag.
"I have taken early retirement following advice from my doctor," he said.
"I have apologised to people in the church, but people can say one thing to you and think something different.
"Perhaps the problem was of my own making. Perhaps I should have been wiser and not taken part in the event. But that's what life is about. Sometimes it takes you down a different route."
Rev. Wray added: "I regret dressing up like that for the party. My intention was to raise money, not bring the church into disrepute. But you never know what people are going to think."
The vicar, who had served in the church for 20 years, five of them at St Lawrence's, had received support from other parts of his congregation.
One correspondent to a local paper described him as "honest, kind and caring". Supporters said he had been "penalised for having a sense of humour" and labelled his critics "hypocrites", while one comment on an internet discussion forum said: "Keep up the good work Martin, and ignore those stupid people intent on causing you grief."
A friend of the Rev. Wray said: "He is being pilloried for something that was meant to be just a bit of fun in support of a good cause. I can't help but think there is some sort of homophobic undercurrent here, which is very disappointing.
"He just dressed as a tart because he's a vicar, and coming to the party as a vicar really wouldn't have made sense."
The Venerable Stuart Bain, Archdeacon of Sunderland, who helps oversee the work of clergy in the area, said Rev. Wray had not brought his parish into disrepute and said both he and the Bishop of Jarrow, the Rt Rev. Bryant, had offered him pastoral support and advice - but hinted that the vicar and his parish had not been united.
Rev. Bain said: "We regret the fact that any priest has to retire on the grounds of ill health. This has been a complex situation and we know that relationships with some members of the congregation were already strained before the "Vicar and Tarts' incident happened."
The Archdeacon denied homophobia had lain behind the controversy, saying worshippers accused of it had been hurt.
"We have not found this to be the case and it is something that the congregation would vehemently refute. They have been deeply hurt by this accusation," he said.
No replacement for Rev. Wray has yet been appointed.
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The ceremony came three years after the father-of-one's wife Carole died after a prolonged illness.
Janet Bridges, Rev. Wray's sister, said: "My brother has been subjected to a witch-hunt for being gay. When he announced to his congregation at a service one Sunday that he was getting a civil partnership everyone stood up and applauded.
"But a lot of people in that church are elderly and very old-fashioned. When his picture appeared in the paper dressed like that some people used it as an excuse because they didn't like the fact he is gay. He started receiving threatening abuse. Martin played me one message left on his phone which threatened violence against him and called him a pervert."
Mrs Bridges, 54, added: "Martin's wife suffered a long illness and he nursed her through it until her death. He was probably born gay, I certainly suspected it, but when he was growing up that kind of thing wasn't recognised. His partner Lee is a lovely person."
Disquiet burst into the open last August, when the Rev. Wray was invited to attend a tarts and vicars party being thrown at the Steamboat pub, close to the River Tyne, choosing to go in drag.
The evening itself raised several hundred pounds, to be shared equally between the Arts4Wellbeing charity, which provides art workshops for local people with mental health problems, and St Lawrence's church.
Regulars at the pub cheered and applauded both the vicar's outfit and his daring sense of humour.
But the reaction was very different when the photograph of Rev. Wray in his unconventional outfit appeared in the local newspaper.
One worshipper said: "Having his photograph taken was something he should not have allowed to happen, associating St Lawrence's as it did with the event. It was a mistake and he has since admitted it was a mistake."
The same person added, without elaborating: "That incident was just a trigger. We had other concerns."
A complaint was made to the local diocese and the parish refused to accept the money, while the Rev Wray went on sick leave.
Last night he confirmed he has resigned from the parish and retired, saying he regretted dressing in drag.
"I have taken early retirement following advice from my doctor," he said.
"I have apologised to people in the church, but people can say one thing to you and think something different.
"Perhaps the problem was of my own making. Perhaps I should have been wiser and not taken part in the event. But that's what life is about. Sometimes it takes you down a different route."
Rev. Wray added: "I regret dressing up like that for the party. My intention was to raise money, not bring the church into disrepute. But you never know what people are going to think."
The vicar, who had served in the church for 20 years, five of them at St Lawrence's, had received support from other parts of his congregation.
One correspondent to a local paper described him as "honest, kind and caring". Supporters said he had been "penalised for having a sense of humour" and labelled his critics "hypocrites", while one comment on an internet discussion forum said: "Keep up the good work Martin, and ignore those stupid people intent on causing you grief."
A friend of the Rev. Wray said: "He is being pilloried for something that was meant to be just a bit of fun in support of a good cause. I can't help but think there is some sort of homophobic undercurrent here, which is very disappointing.
"He just dressed as a tart because he's a vicar, and coming to the party as a vicar really wouldn't have made sense."
The Venerable Stuart Bain, Archdeacon of Sunderland, who helps oversee the work of clergy in the area, said Rev. Wray had not brought his parish into disrepute and said both he and the Bishop of Jarrow, the Rt Rev. Bryant, had offered him pastoral support and advice - but hinted that the vicar and his parish had not been united.
Rev. Bain said: "We regret the fact that any priest has to retire on the grounds of ill health. This has been a complex situation and we know that relationships with some members of the congregation were already strained before the "Vicar and Tarts' incident happened."
The Archdeacon denied homophobia had lain behind the controversy, saying worshippers accused of it had been hurt.
"We have not found this to be the case and it is something that the congregation would vehemently refute. They have been deeply hurt by this accusation," he said.
No replacement for Rev. Wray has yet been appointed.
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