Sandi Toksvig accuses Church of England of harming LGBTQ+ people
'Trust me, being gay is just a normal life. And we want to be allowed to get on with it'
Sandi Toksvig has spoke out against the Church of England's position on same-sex marriage and accused them of harming LGBTQ+ people.
The Church is set to vote on proposals that would allow clergy to bless same-sex marriages which have been criticised by conservatives for breaking with tradition and progressives for not going far enough.
Toksvig spoke to BBC News about the Church of England's continued refusal to bless same-sex marriages: "I can't sit by and let that happen.
Read more: Sandi Toksvig pens letter to Archbishop after same-sex relationship comments
"Trust me, being gay is just a normal life. And we want to be allowed to get on with it."
She added: "But every time somebody condemns you, somebody somewhere in the LGBTQ+ community gets hurt. And I cannot sit by and let that happen."
Toksvig also hit back at Archbishop Justin Welby's claims he was just trying to keep the church together: "Here's the thing about 'equality', it is not a word that you qualify, you either have it or you don't have it.
"The problem is there is only one side that is impinging on the lives of others. And I'm afraid the very conservative people who interpret the Bible with less love than I would hope are causing severe mental health problems for the LGBTQ+ community."
Toksvig also recently started a campaign to have the 26 bishops removed from the House of Lords who automatically get seats in Parliament.
After returning from a trip in South Sudan, Welby commented on the polarised reaction to the proposed reforms: "What we are doing is seeking to have a Church that accepts every person is equal, called by Christ to be loved and accepted and valued.
"We are seeking not to match one exclusion with another, in not saying to the conservatives 'we don't like you, so you've got to go away.'"
The vote on the reforms is expected to take place today (Wednesday, 8 February).
Watch below: Sandi Toksvig told progress on same-sex marriage in CofE will be 'glacial'
