LONDON, United Kingdom, June 21, 2016 (LifeSiteNews.com) — In a move decried by Christian organizations, Prince William has appeared on the cover of a leading British homosexual magazine, highlighting a story in which he advises homosexuals to be proud of who they are.
William, Duke of Cambridge and second in line for the crown of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth, which will make him the head of the Church of England, appears on the latest cover of Attitude, which bills itself as Britain’s “top-selling” gay magazine.
On May 12, 2016, Attitude set up a meeting between the prince and a group of homosexual individuals at Kensington Palace.
“What I would say to any young person reading this who’s being bullied for their sexuality: don’t put up with it — speak to a trusted adult, a friend, a teacher, Childline, Diana Award or some other service and get the help you need,” William said in a prepared statement.
“You should be proud of the person you are and you have nothing to be ashamed of it.”
On the cover, the prince’s beaming visage appears next to the headline “Making History” and one of his statements: “No one should be bullied for their sexuality or any other reason.”
The meeting was in early May and the edition went to press well before the Orlando shooting attack on a homosexual club. The story itself puts the meeting in the context of William’s interest in bullying and mental health issues.
It states “that growing up bullied, isolated and invalidated meant that gay people had higher levels of addictions, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.”
Several Christian leaders told LifeSiteNews that rationale was misguided. “Clearly we all hate bullying and we all do what we can to alleviate mental health problems,” said Andrea Williams, the founder and head of Christian Concern. “But this all shows William has bought into the agenda that’s been sold to us, which is the normalization of homosexuality.”
Williams said that in many cases physical and mental health issues can be traced to the “lifestyle choices” that many LGBT individuals make. “We are not being kind or helpful if we are encourage them to follow those pathways.”
Williams said that the prince’s comments and his appearance on a homosexual magazine cover are a perfect expression of “the new cultural orthodoxy” which leads to the bullying not of LGBTQ people but of Christians. “If you criticize homosexuality you lose your job or you are disciplined,” she said.
Her remarks were supported by Peter LaBarbera, head of Americans for Truth about Homosexuality, who said the facts suggest that the high suicide rates experienced by LGBT members were due to “their disordered lifestyle” not bullying or persecution.
“These symptoms are present even in societies that are considered gay-friendly,” he told LifeSite News. “Nor is there very much hatred of LGBTQ people in the Christian West. Homosexuals have to fake hatred, such as with that man who pretended he had been sold a cake with an anti-gay message on the top.”
LaBarbera said the problems faced by the LGBTQ community were caused “not by who they are but by what they do. They are living in conflict with the Bible.”