Abusive emails sent to lesbian pastor fighting for same-sex marriages

By Peter Dominiczak -

A lesbian church minister fighting to overturn the ban on same-sex marriages today revealed that she had been sent abusive messages since launching the campaign.

The Rev Sharon Ferguson, a pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church, and her partner Franka Strietzel, 49, this week pledged to go to court after Greenwich register office refused to grant them a civil licence.
They are the first of eight couples —four heterosexual and four homosexual — planning to apply for licences in a co-ordinated campaign to overturn the twin bans on gay marriages and heterosexual civil partnerships.
Ms Ferguson, 52, today said she was willing to take her fight “as far as possible” and that the ban was “not acceptable in our society”.
Despite receiving a number of hostile emails, she said public opinion is on their side and that they have a “very strong” legal case. She added: “We've had a lot of people supporting us, but unfortunately I've also received some abusive emails from people claiming to be Christians who are unhappy with what we are doing.”
Ms Ferguson, who has been in a relationship with Ms Strietzel, a corporate trainer, for more than two years, said the couple wanted a full marriage because being forced to have a civil partnership made them feel “different and inferior”.
She said: “The system we currently have is discriminatory and segregates people. It is not acceptable in this day and age. As a person of faith, I want to get married.
“Faith is integral to who I am. When I'm making the biggest commitment of my life, I want to do it as part of the faith I believe in. A civil partnership just wouldn't feel right for us.” Ms Ferguson is chief executive of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, and pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church in north London.
Her and Ms Strietzel's challenge is part of the “Equal Love” campaign, co-ordinated by human rights activist Peter Tatchell. They argue that the ban on gay marriages is a breach of the Human Rights Act, specifically the right to respect for private and family life, the right to marry, and the prohibition of discrimination.
It is believed that the eight couples will launch a challenge in the High Court if they are all refused marriage licences at register offices by the end of the year.
Ms Strietzel said: “We've been planning this campaign for more than a year. There's no telling how far we will have to go but we're prepared to take this fight as far as possible. Public opinion is on our side and we have a very strong case.” She added: “Franka and I are in this together. We spent a long time discussing this before we started the campaign. My whole life has been about fighting for justice and equality but that is not her life.”
Mr Tatchell said: “We are guardedly optimistic that we will win in the courts. We're absolutely convinced we will have same-sex marriage within five years. Boris Johnson has already come out in support of marriage equality. We believe we have a pretty strong case.”

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