Nothing illustrates better the insensitivity to minorities than Mr Cameron\u2019s wish to legalise gay marriage. Dr Williams is critical of the \u201cembarrassment\u201d\u009d the Prime Minister has caused the Church. A \u201cvery inadequate\u201d\u009d consultation overlooked the legal position of the Churches and marriage. By opposing the change, however, the Church attracted accusations of homophobia, and for good reason, he thinks. It has been too \u201d\u201c he says \u201clily mouthed\u201d\u009d before correcting himself: \u201cWe\u2019ve not exactly been on the forefront of pressing for civic equality for homosexual people, and we were wrong about that.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
To those who fear the constitutional consequences, he says legalising gay marriage would not of itself trigger disestablishment. \u201cWe\u2019ve been assured that there will be no pressure on the Church to perform marriages, but of course as things stand, every citizen has the right to be married in Church. That\u2019s alright, so long as the State\u2019s definition of marriage and the Church\u2019s definition are the same. If the State\u2019s definition shifts \u201d\u00a6 then we have a tangle.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n