| Admin Biographical History | The Gay Christian Movement (GCM) was founded in 1976 as an ecumenical organisation with the aim of encouraging fellowship, friendship and support amongst gay Christians, helping the Church to re-examine its understanding of human sexuality, encouraging the witness of Christian faith within the gay community and maintaining links with other gay Christian groups in Britain and elsewhere. It became known as the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) in 1987. A number of sub-groups of LGCM were also established, including caucuses for several religious denominations and local groups.
As examples of the wide-ranging work undertaken since its establishment, LGCM has:
- lobbied Church authorities on lesbian and gay issues when being discussed at high-level events, such as General Synod meetings and at Lambeth Conferences;
- campaigned in relation to statements on sexuality issued by the Church of England and other denominations (such as Issues in Human Sexuality, the Osborne Report and the Windsor Report);
- researched and challenged Christian homophobia and the "ex-gay" movement;
- challenged homophobic statements in the media;
- arranged or taken part in conferences and many other events, including an annual Christmas carol service and services at Pride marches;
- liaised with other secular or religious LGBT groups in the UK and elsewhere;
- encouraged churches to help people with HIV/AIDS (it was one of the founders of the AIDS Faith Alliance/Christian Action on AIDS in 1986);
- (unsuccessfully) challenged the decision by the Diocese of London to evict LGCM from its offices in St Botolph's, Aldgate in 1987-88;
- formed the Institute for the Study of Christianity and Sexuality in 1989 (which later became a separate organisation, the Centre for the Study of Christianity and Sexuality);
- lobbied the government in relation to its equality legislation, 1997-2000s (for example, on age of consent, civil partnerships/gay marriage and employment equality).
For further information on the history of LGCM to 1997 see Sean Gill (ed), "The Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement: campaigning for justice, truth and love" (London, 1998). |