Yesterday I sat in the public gallery at Church House and watched the Church of England step back from the modest, careful and prayerful work of Living in Love and Faith, which was meant to move towards providing a loving Christian welcome for LGBTQ+ people in England’s established Anglican faith. I left feeling numb. Not… Continue reading A Church living without love: the CofE’s failure to include LGBTQ+ Christians
Author: C E Lord
25 Years at Guildhall: opening doors in the City of London and beyond
Twenty‑five years ago, at the age of 29, I walked into Guildhall as a newly elected Common Councillor with far more opinions than experience and a touching faith that if one simply memorised the Standing Orders, everything would turn out all right. I still believe that last bit, although experience has taught me that rules… Continue reading 25 Years at Guildhall: opening doors in the City of London and beyond
Trans inclusion: what the law says and what it does not say
There is currently a great deal of noise, heat, and misinformation about what the law requires when it comes to trans inclusion in single-sex services and organisations. Much of it is being driven by a highly organised and aggressive campaign by Sex Matters, which has taken to threatening legal action against a wide range of… Continue reading Trans inclusion: what the law says and what it does not say
Hampstead Heath Ponds: A clear Judgment. A clear voice from London. And a clear path forward.
This morning’s High Court judgment refusing the judicial review application brought by Sex Matters against the City of London Corporation is an important moment for common sense, good governance, and decency. At the same time, the publication of the Corporation’s consultation on future access to the Hampstead Heath bathing ponds tells a powerful and hopeful… Continue reading Hampstead Heath Ponds: A clear Judgment. A clear voice from London. And a clear path forward.
Living in truth: Middle Powers must lead, and Britain, with Canada and the EU, should be with them
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian Premier Mark Carney delivered one of the most important speeches of this decade. It deserves to be read not as a Canadian intervention alone, but as a blueprint for every serious democracy that refuses to drift into vassalage in a world of unrestrained power politics. Carney named… Continue reading Living in truth: Middle Powers must lead, and Britain, with Canada and the EU, should be with them
Permission to Hate revisited: Britain five years on
In December 2019 I warned that Britain was sliding towards a culture that licensed prejudice and exclusion. Five years on, that “permission to hate” has hardened. This is a reflection on what has happened since, how that permission lives on in politics and the media, and what defenders of an open, inclusive society can –… Continue reading Permission to Hate revisited: Britain five years on
A Church still afraid to Love
The House of Bishops has issued yet another statement on Living in Love and Faith (LLF), the Church of England’s years-long programme of exploration to be more inclusive of LGBTQ+ people. The statement, in essence an admission of the abject failure of LLF, is long, careful, heavily footnoted, and saturated in the language of process,… Continue reading A Church still afraid to Love
Trump’s America is no longer the Land of the Free
Trump’s authoritarian populism risks turning the U.S. into a fascist state which is why I no longer feel safe to travel there, and why others, including global sport, should question their own plans. I have long been proud to celebrate the United States as a beacon of democratic pluralism, creativity, and cultural diversity. I have… Continue reading Trump’s America is no longer the Land of the Free
Women’s rights and Trans dignity are not opposed: a Christian rebuttal to a false choice
A persistent claim in contemporary debate is that the inclusion of trans people, particularly trans women, comes at the expense of women’s rights. This claim has gained renewed prominence in church and media commentary, often presented as a sober and commonsense position. It is neither. It rests on theological misunderstanding, scientific overreach, and a deeply… Continue reading Women’s rights and Trans dignity are not opposed: a Christian rebuttal to a false choice
After Bondi: grief, fear, and the hard work of refusing hatred
The attack on Australia’s Jewish community on Bondi Beach in recent days has left me shaken and heartsick. It joins a grim list of assaults on Jewish life across the world, including the attack on the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur earlier this year. These are not isolated acts. They sit within… Continue reading After Bondi: grief, fear, and the hard work of refusing hatred
C. E. Lord OBE 